Bone Infection: If not treated in time, may cause permanent bone loss

Osteomyelitis

is an infection in the bone, which may also affect one or more parts of the bone. It is prone to people with chronic health conditions as well as the ones who smoke. If a nearby tissue is infected, the bone can acquire infections that the blood carries. It happens when a bacterial infection or a fungal infection spreads to the bones. Osteomyelitis causes painful swelling in the bone marrow. If it’s not treated in time, osteomyelitis can cause permanent

bone loss

and necrosis (tissue death). However, infections can also be initiated in the bone in case of injuries that expose the bone to contaminating factors such as germs.

Risk factors that may cause bone infection

– Diabetes

– Open fractures
– Sickle cell anemia
– People who take immunosuppressants or are on dialysis

Types of osteomyelitis

– Acute osteomyelitis: According to Dr. Gurdeep Avinash Ratra, Consultant – Orthopedics, Manipal Hospital Gurugram, “Acute often rapid onset

bone infection

that happens after an infection spreads to your bones.

Acute osteomyelitis

is the most common type.”
–

Chronic osteomyelitis

: Bone infections that aren’t completely cured after treatment can linger in your body and come back (recur) months or years later, causing slow bone damage.

Symptoms of bone infection include:

– Fever
– Malaise
– Bone pains
– Swelling (inflammation)
– Pus or discharge
If left untreated, it can lead to permanent bone damage, including:
* Bone destruction and deformity
* Chronic pain
* Risk of amputation in severe cases

How to prevent bone infection?

According to Dr. Apoorv Dua, Consultant- Orthopedics, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, “Osteomyelitis can be prevented by practicing good hygiene and taking care of wounds and surgeries in a proper manner. In the case of wounds, clean scrapes and cuts with warm water and soap. If one has recently had surgery, it is important to keep the stitches sterile and clean wounds or cuts. It is important to consult the doctor immediately in case of punctures, stabbing wounds, deep cuts, or trauma to the bone.”

How to diagnose bone infection

– Blood tests- ESR, CRP
– X-rays
– Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
– CT scan
– Ultrasound
– Bone scan / marrow biopsy

Treatment of bone infection

For acute stages, Antibiotics/ antifungals and debridement if needed. Once chronic osteomyelitis and sequestrum develops, surgical debridement / curettage / sequestrectomy are mandatory. In common cases, people with osteomyelitis require surgical procedures to remove the infected bone region. The most common surgery for osteomyelitis is debridement. In this, the diseased part of the bone, which is the infected area, is removed. A small portion of the uninfected part of the bone is also removed to ensure the infection is completely eradicated. The surrounding soft tissues, if infected near the bone, can also be disposed of. Other options in specific regions could be bone grafting (transplantation of new bone), joint replacement (joint region), etc. In the case of vertebral osteomyelitis, where the vertebrae of the spine become the infected bone, spine surgery is performed.