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What are the routes of infection in osteomyelitis?
Are bone infections more difficult to eradicate than soft tissue infections? How is osteomyelitis diagnosed?
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Osteomyelitis is a disease characterized by an inflammation of the bone tissues. This medical condition is caused by an attack of a certain species of bacteria, mostly Staphylococcus aureus, and there are three kinds of Osteomyelitis; acute, subacute and chronic.
With regard to the route of infection, there are two known classifications. It can either be hematogenous (through the bloodstream) or exogenous (2 types: direct invasion and infection in nearby bones or soft tissues.
Once you develop osteomyelitis, the soft tissues inside the bone, like the red bone marrow, would swell. As these soft tissues swell, the blood vessels would be blocked thus stopping blood supply from that part of the bone onwards. As an effect, that part that’s not supplied with blood will eventually die. It is, also difficult to cure infection on those dead parts as the body can’t send anti-bodies because of the cut blood supply.
From the above information, I can also conclude that infections of the soft tissues are easily cured than those of the bones as blood can easily send infection-fighting cells to an infected soft tissue, unlike clogged up bones where antibodies can’t penetrate.
Diagnosis would depend on what the doctor thinks. He may take samples of the bone, pus, blood, etc.
Sources: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec05/ch065/ch065b.html
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/393120-overview
With regard to the route of infection, there are two known classifications. It can either be hematogenous (through the bloodstream) or exogenous (2 types: direct invasion and infection in nearby bones or soft tissues.
Once you develop osteomyelitis, the soft tissues inside the bone, like the red bone marrow, would swell. As these soft tissues swell, the blood vessels would be blocked thus stopping blood supply from that part of the bone onwards. As an effect, that part that’s not supplied with blood will eventually die. It is, also difficult to cure infection on those dead parts as the body can’t send anti-bodies because of the cut blood supply.
From the above information, I can also conclude that infections of the soft tissues are easily cured than those of the bones as blood can easily send infection-fighting cells to an infected soft tissue, unlike clogged up bones where antibodies can’t penetrate.
Diagnosis would depend on what the doctor thinks. He may take samples of the bone, pus, blood, etc.
Sources: http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec05/ch065/ch065b.html
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/393120-overview
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