Osteomyelitis of the hand

Abstract

Osteomyelitis of the hand is uncommon, but if not adequately and promptly treated the detrimental effects on hand function can be devastating. The majority of literature on osteomyelitis relates to the lower limb, but the principles of management are applicable to the hand, with good surgical debridement and culture-guided antimicrobial therapy. For osteomyelitis in general, antibiotic therapy of 4-6 weeks' duration (intravenous and/or oral) is typically recommended. In the hand, length and mode of antibiotic administration are still under study.

Level of evidence: V.

Keywords: Osteomyelitis; antibiotics; bone infection; hand.