What is Osteomyelitis?

Osteomyelitis is a serious, but rare diabetic complication that affects your bones. This condition may develop if you have a diabetic foot infection or ulcer. Typically, it affects the bones in your legs, causing severe pain. If not treated immediately, this infection increases your risk for diabetic amputation. 

What Causes Osteomyelitis? 

Osteomyelitis occurs when bacteria enter your bone, usually because of an infection in an open ulcer. Patients with diabetes have a higher risk for this condition because their ulcer risk is also elevated. Unfortunately, many diabetics have reduced sensation in their feet due to neuropathy. As a result, they may not notice any symptoms of osteomyelitis until the infection has progressed. 

Warning Signs and Symptoms

Along with bone pain, symptoms of osteomyelitis include nausea and swelling, redness, tenderness or warmth at the site of infection. Your range of motion may be reduced, or you may experience fever or chills. Additionally, you may notice an open foot wound, possible with pus or drainage. If you notice any of these symptoms, you should call our office for an immediate appointment

Diagnosing and Treating Osteomyelitis in Westfield, IN

In order to diagnose osteomyelitis, we’ll need to run several tests. These may include blood tests, X-rays or other scans that help us detect infection. However, depending on the timing of the tests, radiography may not be able to accurately show the bone infection. Often, an MRI is the best diagnostic tool. But every patient will be different. 

Once we detect a problem, you may need a bone biopsy so we can identify the source of your bacterial infection. This will help us create a more effective treatment plan. The first treatment option will usually be a one-to-two-month course of antibiotics for less severe infections. But for more serious cases, you may need a longer treatment course or you may need to enter the hospital. 

Additional Osteomyelitis Treatment Measures

During your treatment period, your affected limb may be immobilized. This will reduce your pain while speeding up healing time. In some cases, we’ll need to surgically remove infected bone or soft tissue. Doing so could help us prevent an amputation in cases where the infection is spreading quickly.  We may also recommend debridement. This is a surgical procedure that cleans out infected bone or tissue from a wound. Finally, we may need to take pressure off your limb—called offloading—so that open wounds or ulcers can heal and reduce your risk of reinfection. Depending on your situation, we may offload your wound with special surgical shoes, casts or even a wheelchair. 

Of course, we’d rather prevent osteomyelitis than treat this infection. And what’s the best way to do that? Check your feet daily for any signs of wounds or infections. Then, stick to quarterly foot exams in the office. But schedule visits right away at the first sign of trouble! 

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