Unfortunately infections in bones and joints can occur. Often these occur suddenly with minimal or little notice. Sometimes they are a progressive issue. If not treated aggressively and appropriately they can cause long-term damage. Often the treatment requires both antibiotics and surgery when indicated. Often time is of the essence, especially with infections and joints, as they can cause permanent damage if not treated quickly.
Osteomyelitis (osteo- derived from the Greek word osteon, meaning bone, myelo- meaning marrow, and -itis meaning inflammation) simply means an infection of the bone or bone marrow. It can be usefully subclassified on the basis of the causative organism (pyogenic bacteria or mycobacteria), the route, duration and anatomic location of the infection.
Chronic osteomyelitis may be due to the presence of intracellular bacteria (inside bone cells). Also, once intracellular, the bacteria are able to escape and invade other bone cells. At this point, the bacteria may be resistant to some antibiotics. These combined facts may explain the chronicity and difficult eradication of this disease, resulting in significant costs and disability, potentially leading to amputation. Intracellular existence of bacteria in osteomyelitis is likely an unrecognized contributing factor to its chronic form.