The treatment of chronic osteomyelitis: a 10 year audit.

Abstract

Despite modern surgical techniques and advanced antimicrobial therapy, osteomyelitis remains a difficult and challenging problem. A 10 year audit study from 1990 to 2000 was carried out to assess the outcome of treatment of chronic osteomyelitis. A total of 41 patients with chronic osteomyelitis (26 male, 15 female with an age range of 10-76 years, mean 45.3 years) underwent extirpation and reconstruction with muscle interposition. The duration of osteomyelitis ranged from 1 to 69 years (mean 16.6 years) and many patients had undergone multiple attempted procedures prior to definitive treatment. Thirty-seven patients underwent free microvascular muscle transfer and four patients underwent local transposition muscle flaps. Two of the 41 patients developed recurrent sepsis at 12 months (4.4% recurrence rate). These were treated successfully with elevation of the flap and curettage of the remaining infection and debris and re-insetting of the flap. Only one patient in the series required a below knee amputation and this was as a result of persistent intractable bone pain rather than recurrence of the osteomyelitis.

• Authors: I M Smith, O M B Austin, A G Batchelor
• Journal: Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery : JPRAS (J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg) Vol. 59 Issue 1 Pg. 11-5 ( 2006) ISSN: 1748-6815 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 16482785 (Publication Type: Evaluation Study, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Amputation, Surgical
• Child
• Chronic Disease
• Clavicle (surgery)
• Female
• Femur (surgery)
• Humans
• Male
• Medical Audit
• Middle Aged
• Muscle, Skeletal (transplantation)
• Osteomyelitis (etiology, surgery)
• Recurrence
• Reoperation
• Surgical Flaps
• Tibia (surgery)
• Treatment Outcome