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Osteomyelitis
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Osteomyelitis is the medical name for infection of the bone. It is an inflammatory process, acute or chronic, that involves the bone and the structures that go with it, and it is set off by pyogenic germs, meaning pus-producing germs: bacteria, fungi or mycobacteria.
The interesting part is that healthy bone defends itself well. Intact bone resists infection. It becomes vulnerable when something has altered it first: an injury, ischemia, which is a lack of blood supply, or the presence of a foreign body. Any of those exposes the sites in the bone matrix that microorganisms can stick to. Intact bone offers nothing to grab onto; broken or poorly perfused bone does.
Staphylococcus aureus is the clear example of how they grab on. It makes molecules called adhesins, which work like hooks and recognize components of the bone matrix: laminin, collagen, fibronectin and bone sialoprotein.
In brief
Osteomyelitis is infection of the bone: an acute or chronic inflammatory process of the bone and its structures caused by pyogenic germs, bacteria, fungi or mycobacteria.
Healthy, intact bone resists infection; it becomes vulnerable when trauma, ischemia or a foreign body exposes sites where microorganisms can attach.
Intact bone offers nothing to grab onto; broken or poorly perfused bone does.
Staphylococcus aureus sticks to bone with adhesins that recognize laminin, collagen, fibronectin and bone sialoprotein.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingOsteomyelitis, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated