Osteomyelitis Treatment
Surgical Intervention
- Indications include persistent fever, erythema, pain & swelling, bacteremia, abscess or sinus tract formation, presence of necrotic bone, & failure to improve after 48-72 hr of antimicrobial therapy
- Long-bone osteomyelitis is classified into stages based on the magnitude of infection; these stages may be used to guide the type of surgical intervention needed
- Stage 1 (medullary) often requires unroofing & intramedullary reaming
- Stage 2 (superficial) often requires superficial debridement, coverage & possibly ablation
- Stage 3 (localized) often needs debridement, dead space management, temporary stabilization & bone grafting
- Stage 4 (diffuse) often needs stabilization through open reduction w/ internal or external fixation in addition to procedures required for Stage 3