The goal of treatment is to stop the infection and halt the deterioration of the bone and surrounding soft tissues. Usually, the therapy consists of a drug and a surgical part. The administration of antibiotics is intended to kill the causative agents of the inflammation, the bacteria. For this, it is important to know the exact pathogen in order to choose the right antibiotic.
Antibiotic treatment
As long as the result of the bacteriological examination is not yet available, one usually administers a mixture of several antibiotics that safely kills the most common bacteria. Once the culprit pathogen is then found, the appropriate antibiotic can be given specifically. Because blood flow to the bone is relatively poor, antibiotics must be taken for much longer (at least 3 weeks) than for middle ear or renal pelvic inflammation.
Surgical procedures
If the pathogens have already destroyed larger parts of the bone or if a lot of pus, inflamed or even dead tissue has formed, treatment with medication alone is not sufficient; surgery must be performed – even if larger parts of the bone are lost in the process.
After the infection has healed, the bone defect can then be reconstructed in a second operation, for example by inserting healthy bone tissue or bone marrow into the bone gap. Foreign bodies located in the inflamed area are also removed. These include implants such as an artificial hip joint or bone grafts. This is because any foreign body ensures that the infection remains active.
What complications can occur?
The greatest danger in bone infection is sepsis, or blood poisoning. In this case, the permanent invasion of bacteria and their toxins into the bloodstream leads to a general infection of the body, which can be life-threatening.
Especially in children, a bone infection can leave considerable permanent damage. This is because the inflammation can cause growth disorders, such as crooked growth or shortened or accelerated growth of the bones, which can cause pronounced differences in leg length, especially in the lower extremities. The destruction of joints at an early age can also lead to long-term skeletal deformities. For this reason alone, timely treatment is so important.