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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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• Patient Handouts

Summary

Like other parts of the body, bones can get infected. The infections are usually bacterial, but can also be fungal. They may spread to the bone from nearby skin or muscles, or from another part of the body through the bloodstream. People who are at risk for bone infections include those with diabetes, poor circulation, or recent injury to the bone. You may also be at risk if you are having hemodialysis.

Symptoms of bone infections include

• Pain in the infected area
• Chills and fever
• Swelling, warmth, and redness

A blood test or imaging test such as an x-ray can tell if you have a bone infection. Treatment includes antibiotics and often surgery.

Start Here

• Osteomyelitis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Osteomyelitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bone Scan (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Bone X-Ray (Radiography) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• MRI of the Musculoskeletal System (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Bone Diseases, Infectious (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Osteomyelitis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Bacteriophage therapy for bone and joint infections.
• Article: Evaluation of imaging features of pelvic echinococcosis based on multimodal images.
• Article: Two-stage treatment with sliding fibular flap technique for chronic infected nonunion...
• Bone Infections -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Bones, Muscles, and Joints: The Musculoskeletal System (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Osteomyelitis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Bone lesion biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Bone pain or tenderness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Disseminated tuberculosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Osteomyelitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Osteomyelitis - children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Osteomyelitis - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish