What causes osteomyelitis? There are so many symptoms.

Osteomyelitis is a common disease. Most patients are caused by infection, including infection of joint replacements, contaminated fractures and bone surgery. For children, any process that causes bacteremia may induce osteomyelitis.

1. Cause

Infections are caused by blood-borne microorganisms (hematogenous osteomyelitis); spread from infected tissue includes infection of joint replacements, contaminated fractures, and bone surgery. The most common pathogens are Gram-positive bacteria. Osteomyelitis caused by gram-negative bacteria may occur in drug addicts, patients with sickle cell disease, and patients with severe diabetes or trauma. Fungal and mycobacterial infections are often confined to the bone and cause painless, chronic infections. Risk factors include wasting diseases, radiation therapy, malignancy, diabetes, hemodialysis, and intravenous drug use. In children, any process that causes bacteremia may predispose to osteomyelitis.

2. Clinical manifestations

Osteomyelitis refers to an inflammatory disease caused by purulent bacteria infecting the bone marrow, cortical bone and periosteum. Most of them are caused by blood-borne infections, but also by trauma or surgical infections. Most of them are caused by purulent bacteria and toxins from furuncles or other lesions entering the blood and reaching the bone tissue.

The ends of the bones of the limbs are most susceptible to invasion, especially the hip joint. Clinically, repeated attacks are common, which seriously affect physical and mental health and work ability. Acute osteomyelitis presents with high fever and local pain at the onset, and when it turns into chronic osteomyelitis, there will be ulceration, pus discharge, dead bone or cavity formation. Severely ill patients are often in danger of their lives, and sometimes amputation is the only emergency measure that has to be taken, causing the patient to become disabled for life.