Osteomyelitis

Abstract

Introduction: Osteomyelitis is a challenging diagnosis for every patient because of its protracted treatment process. Very experienced orthopaedic surgeons are needed to diagnose and treat this bacteria-related severe disorder in a right and proper way.

Materials and methods: Different treatment options are possible for osteomyelitis at any stage: antibiotics in the acute and chronic stage for conservative treatment or radical debridement, bone fenestration, reaming, bone troughing, the Masquelet-technique, segmental resection with callus distraction, bone grafting and even amputation as surgical therapy.

Results: Depending on different stages of the disease, there are good results with every technique available-on condition that radical debridement was performed. The complication rate is remarkable so that soft tissue defects should be assessed by using flaps to close the wounds in early stages.

Conclusions: The treatment of osteomyelitis should be done in centres with expertise in the treatment of this challenging disease. Different methods should be offered by surgeons and individual treatment concepts acquired together with the patient. The treatment of complications like soft tissue defects should be provided in the same centre and performed in short time lag to the prior surgery. The cooperation of the patient and surgeons of different specialities is mandatory in these cases.