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Osteomyelitis - Overview

Definition of Osteomyelitis:

Osteomyelitis is an acute or chronic bone infection, usually caused by bacteria.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Bone infection can be caused by bacteria or by fungus. The infection that causes osteomyelitis often starts in another part of the body and spreads to the bone through the blood. An injury may have made the affected bone more likely to develop the infection.

In children, the long bones are usually affected. In adults, the feet, vertebrae, and the pelvis are most commonly affected.

Risk factors are recent trauma, diabetes, hemodialysis, and IV drug abuse. People who have had their spleen removed are also at higher risk for osteomyelitis.

Osteomyelitis affects about 2 in 10,000 people.

X-ray

Skeleton

Osteomyelitis

Reviewed last on: 9/3/2008
D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Berbari EF, Steckelberg JM. Osmon DR. Osteomyelitis. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. London: Churchill Livingstone; 2005:chap 99.

Espinoza LR. Infections of Bursae, Joints, and Bones. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 293.

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