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Osteomyelitis
DefinitionOsteomyelitis is an acute or chronic bone infection, usually caused by bacteria.
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Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
The infection that causes osteomyelitis often is in another part of the body and spreads to the bone via the blood. Affected bone may have been predisposed to infection because of recent trauma.
In children, the long bones are usually affected. In adults, the vertebrae and the pelvis are most commonly affected. Bone infection can be caused by bacteria or by fungus. When the bone is infected, pus is produced within the bone, which may result in an abscess. The abscess then deprives the bone of its blood supply.
Chronic osteomyelitis results when bone tissue dies as a result of the lost blood supply. Chronic infection can persist intermittently for years.
Risk factors are recent trauma, diabetes, hemodialysis, and intravenous drug abuse. People who have had their spleen removed are also at higher risk for osteomyelitis.
The incidence of osteomyelitis is 2 in 10,000 people.
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Jump to another section
• Definition
• Osteomyelitis Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
• Osteomyelitis Symptoms & Signs
• Osteomyelitis Prevention
• Osteomyelitis Diagnosis & Tests
• Osteomyelitis Treatment
• Osteomyelitis Prognosis
• Osteomyelitis Complications
• Calling Your Health Care Provider
• Pictures & Images
Topics that might be of interest to you Diseases & Conditions
• Abscess
• Diabetes
Tests & Exams
• ALP
• ALP (Alkaline Phosphatase) Isoenzyme
• Blood Culture
• Bone Lesion Biopsy
• Bone Scan
• Bone X-Ray
• CBC
• Dialysis
• ESR
• Extremity X-Ray
• Hand X-Ray
• Joint X-Ray
• WBC Count
Surgery & Procedures
• Bone Graft
Other Topics
• Acute
• Aspiration
• Back Pain - Low
• Bone Pain or Tenderness
• Chronic
• Drug Abuse
• Fever
• Foot, Leg, and Ankle Swelling
• Intravenous
• Long Bones
• Malaise
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Physical Examination
• Prosthesis
• Rashes
• Sweating - Excessive
• Swelling
Review Date : 7/31/2002
Reviewed By : Christopher Parsons, M.D., Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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