osteomyelitis

Meaning of osteomyelitis: Osteomyelitis is a bone infection that can arise from bloodstream spread, direct injury, or a nearby infected wound such as a diabetic foot ulcer.

Definition of osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis is inflammation of bone caused by an infection, most often bacterial, which can spread into the surrounding bone marrow and adjacent tissue if not addressed. Infection can reach the bone in different ways, including travel through the bloodstream from an infection elsewhere in the body, direct spread from a nearby infected wound or ulcer, or introduction during an open fracture or surgical procedure.

Osteomyelitis reaching bone through the bloodstream is more common in children, often affecting the long bones of the arms or legs, while infection spreading from an adjacent wound is more common in adults, including cases that develop from a chronic skin ulcer, such as a diabetic foot ulcer, that extends down to underlying bone.

Osteomyelitis can cause persistent pain, swelling, and warmth over the affected bone, and if untreated, it can damage and kill bone tissue, making prompt identification of the infection and its underlying source an important part of evaluation.