Osteomyelitis

Bone is living tissue and can get infected like any other part of your body

Infection gets into a bone through your blood or from nearby infected tissue or an open wound

You may have pain in your bone, fever, and weight loss

You'll need x-rays and maybe a CT or MRI

You’ll need weeks of antibiotics and possibly surgery to treat osteomyelitis

Spread from nearby infected skin

Enter through a deep wound over a bone

Travel through your bloodstream from an infection in another part of your body

Enter when a broken bone has punctured the skin

Are a complication of bone or joint surgery

Have other health problems, such as cancer Overview of Cancer Cancer is the out-of-control growth of cells in your body. Cells are the tiny building blocks of your body. Cells specialize in what they do. For example, your intestines have muscle cells to... read more , sickle cell disease Sickle Cell Disease Sickle cell disease is a lifelong problem with your red blood cells. It's something you’re born with that causes some of your red blood cells to be unusually shaped. Instead of being shaped... read more , or a weak immune system Overview of the Immune System The immune system is your body's defense system. It helps protect you from illness and infection. The immune system's job is to attack things that don’t belong in your body, including: Germs... read more

Inject street drugs

Are on kidney dialysis Dialysis Dialysis is an artificial process for removing waste products and excess fluids from the body, a process that is needed when the kidneys are not functioning properly. There are a number of reasons... read more

Fever

Pain in the infected bone

Sore, red, warm, swollen area over the infected bone

Weight loss and tiredness

Blood tests

X-rays Plain X-Rays A plain x-ray is an imaging test that takes a picture of the inside of your body. It uses a low dose of x-ray radiation. X-rays show body parts according to how dense (solid) they are. Doctors... read more , CT scan Computed Tomography A CT scan uses a large machine shaped like a large donut to take x-rays from many angles. A computer then takes the x-rays and creates many detailed pictures of the inside of your body. Each... read more , MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) MRI is a test that uses a machine with a powerful magnet to make pictures of the inside of your body. A computer records changes in the magnetic field around your body. The computer then uses... read more

Bone scan Bone scanning A doctor can often diagnose a musculoskeletal disorder based on the history and the results of a physical examination. Laboratory tests, imaging tests, or other diagnostic procedures are sometimes... read more

Use a needle or do surgery to take a sample of the infected area

Antibiotics given by vein

Do surgery to remove infected and dead bone