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Surgical Procedure for Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis, also known as a bone infection, is most commonly found in the bones of the arms, legs, spine and pelvis. Osteomyelitis can appear in either acute or chronic forms. Although osteomyelitis had been thought incurable for many years, advances in medicine make the condition treatable. It is important to seek proper treatment, however, since osteomyelitis can destroy your bones if not taken care of properly.

  1. Symptoms

    • Your symptoms will depend whether your osteomyelitis is acute or chronic. In the acute form, which is more common in children, you will usually begin with a sudden fever. There will be pain in the infected area and you will notice it become warm, red and swollen. Children especially with osteomyelitis will be tired and irritable. In the chronic form of osteomyelitis, you will once again exhibit the same pain and redness, but chronic fatigue is also very common. There also will be an open wound now that the infection is draining pus. Since it can share symptoms with many other diseases, osteomyelitis can be difficult to diagnose.

    Diagnosis

    • Your doctor will need to conduct a physical exam, and if he suspects osteomyelitis, he may order various tests. A blood test cannot diagnose the condition, but a raised level of white blood cells will alert your doctor that you are fighting an infection. An X-ray can reveal the extent of damage to your bone. Unfortunately, X-rays do not show the early stages of osteomyelitis. If the X-ray is unclear, your doctor may order a CT scan or an MRI for a better image. If osteomyelitis is suspected, your doctor may then take a biopsy of your bone to test for the exact type of bacteria that is causing the problem. Your doctor will either open the site and remove a piece of bone or use a long needle to take pieces from the bone.

    Surgery

    • Depending on which bone is infected, your doctor may employ one or more surgical techniques. If she decides to drain the infected area, your doctor will open up the skin around the infected bone and remove any of the pus that has collected from the infection. Your doctor may also cut out any infected bone or tissue. Usually, she will remove some healthy bone and tissue as well to ensure the infection will not spread. An empty space will be created by this procedure, and your doctor will then take skin or muscle from another body part to fill the gap. You may have to go back for a tissue or bone graft once the area heals some more. If the infected site has already undergone previous surgery, your doctor may need to also remove old foreign bodies like screws and plates.

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