Osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis is a bone infection. Infections can spread to a bone via the circulation or from adjacent tissue. Infections can also originate within the bone itself if the bone is exposed to bacteria as a result of an injury.
Smokers and those with chronic health problems such as diabetes or kidney failure are at an increased risk of acquiring osteomyelitis. Diabetes patients who have foot ulcers are at risk of developing osteomyelitis.
Although osteomyelitis was once thought to be incurable, it can now be successfully treated. The majority of people require surgery to remove the dead bone. Typically, powerful intravenous antibiotics are required following surgery.
Osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis manifests itself in the following ways:
- Fever
- Swelling, warmth, and redness in the infection area
- Pain in the infection’s site
- Fatigue
Consult your physician if you have worsening bone pain in conjunction with a fever. If you are at risk of infection as a result of a medical condition, recent surgery, or accident, contact your doctor immediately if you develop signs or symptoms of infection.
Staphylococcus bacteria, allergic even to healthy people’s skin and nose, cause most occurrences of osteomyelitis.
Germs can enter a bone through a multitude of routes, including the following:
- Germs in other regions of your body — for example, pneumonia-causing bacteria in the lungs or a urinary tract infection-causing bacteria in the bladder — can travel through your bloodstream to a vulnerable spot in a bone.
- Severe puncture wounds can introduce pathogens into the body. If an infection occurs as a result of such an injury, the bacteria can move to an adjacent bone. Germs can also enter the body if a bone has been shattered severely enough that a portion of it protrudes through the skin.
- Direct contamination with microorganisms can occur during joint replacement or fracture repair surgery.
Your bones are normally resistant to infection, but this protection lessens as you get older. Other factors that can make your bones more vulnerable to osteomyelitis may include:
- Recent injury or orthopedic surgery A severe bone fracture or a deep puncture wound gives bacteria a route to enter your bone or nearby tissue. A deep puncture wound, such as an animal bite or a nail piercing through a shoe, can also provide a pathway for infection. Surgery to repair broken bones or replace worn joints also can accidentally open a path for germs to enter a bone. Implanted orthopedic hardware is a risk factor for infection.
- Circulation disorders When blood vessels are damaged or blocked, your body has trouble distributing the infection-fighting cells needed to keep a small infection from growing larger. What begins as a small cut can progress to a deep ulcer that may expose deep tissue and bone to infection. Diseases that impair blood circulation include: • Poorly controlled diabetes • Peripheral artery disease, often related to smoking • Sickle cell disease
- Problems requiring intravenous lines or catheters There are a number of conditions that require the use of medical tubing to connect the outside world with your internal organs. However, this tubing can also serve as a way for germs to get into your body, increasing your risk of infection in general, which can lead to osteomyelitis. Examples of when this type of tubing might be used include: • Dialysis machine tubing • Urinary catheters • Long-term intravenous tubing sometimes called central lines Conditions that impair the immune system If your immune system is affected by a medical condition or medication, you have a greater risk of osteomyelitis. Factors that may suppress your immune system include: • Cancer treatment • Poorly controlled diabetes • Needing to take corticosteroids or drugs called tumor necrosis factor inhibitors Illicit drugs People who inject illegal drugs are more likely to develop osteomyelitis because they may use nonsterile needles and are less likely to sterilize their skin before injections.
Osteomyelitis complications may include:
- Bone death (osteonecrosis)- An infection in your bone can impede blood circulation within the bone, leading to bone death. Areas, where the bone has died, need to be surgically removed for antibiotics to be effective.
- Septic arthritis – Sometimes, infection within bones can spread into a nearby joint.
- Impaired growth – Normal growth in bones or joints in children may be affected if osteomyelitis occurs in the softer areas, called growth plates, at either end of the long bones of the arms and legs.
- Skin cancer – If your osteomyelitis has resulted in an open sore that is draining pus, the surrounding skin is at a higher risk of developing squamous cell cancer.
While your bones are generally resistant to infection, this resistance diminishes as you age. Other factors that may increase your bone’s susceptibility to osteomyelitis include the following:
Bacteria can infiltrate your bone or adjacent tissue through a severe bone fracture or a deep puncture wound. A deep puncture wound, such as one caused by an animal bite or a nail piercing a shoe, can also serve as an entry point for infection.
Additionally, surgery to repair broken bones or replace damaged joints can unintentionally provide an opening for germs to enter the bone. Infections can occur as a result of implanted orthopedic hardware.
Circulation disorders
When blood vessels are injured or obstructed, your body has difficulty distributing the infection-fighting cells necessary to prevent a minor infection from spreading. A minor cut can develop into a deep ulcer, exposing deep tissue and bone to infection.
Among the diseases that affect blood circulation are the following:
- Diabetes that is poorly controlled
- Peripheral artery disease is frequently associated with smoking.
- The illness is known as sickle cell
- Tubing for dialysis machines
- Catheters urinaires
- Intravenous tubing is used for extended periods, referred to as central lines
- Tubing for dialysis machines
- Catheters urinaires
- Intravenous tubing is used for extended periods, referred to as central lines
- Treatment of cancer
- Diabetes that is poorly controlled
- Corticosteroids or medicines termed tumor necrosis factor inhibitors are required
If you’ve been warned that you’re at a higher risk of infection, speak with your doctor about measures to avoid illness. Reduced infection risk also reduces the possibility of getting osteomyelitis.
Generally, avoid cuts, scrapes, animal scratches or dents that allow your body to be easily accessible to microorganisms. If you or your child sustains a minor injury, quickly clean the area and apply a fresh bandage. Infected wounds should be checked often for signs of the disorder.
