Medline Plus
This website of the U.S. National Library of Medicine features detailed information about osteomyelitis, including links to specialized information about aspects of bone infection and its treatment.
Bone & Joint Infection
Infections of the bones (osteomyelitis) and joints (septic arthritis) can cause pain and swelling. It can also pose further risks, so IU Health provides advanced treatments designed for you.
You can experience infections of the bones (osteomyelitis) and joints (septic arthritis) at any age. Bone and joint infections typically occur in the pelvis or at the ends of long bones.
This can put your nearby joints, such as wrists, elbows and knees at risk. Orthopedic experts at IU Health specialize in treating bone and joint infections.
Bone infections can be especially dangerous because the white blood cells inside your bone marrow can’t grow and fight against infection. The bone infection can produce pus inside the bone, decreasing the blood supply to the bone. If bone tissue doesn’t receive a blood supply, it will die.
Symptoms
Symptoms of bone and joint infections include:
- Fever
- Pain
- Swelling
- Redness
- Difficulty using or bearing weight on the affected area
Causes of Bone Infection
Any of the following can cause bone infections:
- Fractures/Trauma. If bacteria break through your skin, joints and bones become more vulnerable to infection. Open fractures (when bone is exposed through torn skin) make you more prone to bone infection. Machine and equipment-related accidents are also more likely to lead to bone infections.
Decreased blood supply to the muscle and bone at the site of your injury makes it impossible for white blood cells to travel to the site of infection to fight it.
Occasionally, a bone or joint fracture does not show symptoms of infection (inflammation or pain) until months or years later. If your injury site becomes red, inflamed or more painful, let your physician know.
- Surgery. Every surgery poses relative risks. You risk infection when your bone, joint and tissue are exposed to airborne pathogens. If you experience increased pain after surgery or redness at the injury site, your physician will evaluate you for infection.
- Bloodstream. If your tissue or joint becomes infected and the infection travels in your bloodstream to the bone, it can infect your bone. The marrow of the bone, where white blood cells generate, fights infection. If your blood carries bacteria back to your marrow, your bone and joints risk becoming infected.
Overview
Bone infections can be especially dangerous because the white blood cells inside your bone marrow can’t grow and fight against infection. The bone infection can produce pus inside the bone, decreasing the blood supply to the bone. If bone tissue doesn’t receive a blood supply, it will die.
Symptoms
Symptoms of bone and joint infections include:
- Fever
- Pain
- Swelling
- Redness
- Difficulty using or bearing weight on the affected area
Causes of Bone Infection
Any of the following can cause bone infections:
- Fractures/Trauma. If bacteria break through your skin, joints and bones become more vulnerable to infection. Open fractures (when bone is exposed through torn skin) make you more prone to bone infection. Machine and equipment-related accidents are also more likely to lead to bone infections.
Decreased blood supply to the muscle and bone at the site of your injury makes it impossible for white blood cells to travel to the site of infection to fight it.
Occasionally, a bone or joint fracture does not show symptoms of infection (inflammation or pain) until months or years later. If your injury site becomes red, inflamed or more painful, let your physician know.
- Surgery. Every surgery poses relative risks. You risk infection when your bone, joint and tissue are exposed to airborne pathogens. If you experience increased pain after surgery or redness at the injury site, your physician will evaluate you for infection.
- Bloodstream. If your tissue or joint becomes infected and the infection travels in your bloodstream to the bone, it can infect your bone. The marrow of the bone, where white blood cells generate, fights infection. If your blood carries bacteria back to your marrow, your bone and joints risk becoming infected.
Our nationally recognized team of highly-skilled physicians in Orthopedics & Sports Medicine provide treatment options available first and often only at IU Health. We may use any of the following treatments based on your individual needs and lifestyle:
Medication. Physicians usually treat bone and joint infections with antibiotics for four to eight weeks. In some cases, when an area of the bone contains bacteria and pus, we open and drain it so the bone can heal.
Surgery. In most trauma cases, we perform surgery to correct the fracture and eliminate infection. In cases when bone tissue death occurs due to the decreased blood supply to the infected bone, we remove the dead tissue.
Treatments
Our nationally recognized team of highly-skilled physicians in Orthopedics & Sports Medicine provide treatment options available first and often only at IU Health. We may use any of the following treatments based on your individual needs and lifestyle:
Medication. Physicians usually treat bone and joint infections with antibiotics for four to eight weeks. In some cases, when an area of the bone contains bacteria and pus, we open and drain it so the bone can heal.
Surgery. In most trauma cases, we perform surgery to correct the fracture and eliminate infection. In cases when bone tissue death occurs due to the decreased blood supply to the infected bone, we remove the dead tissue.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: This web site provides a description, cause, treatments, and symptoms of bone, joint and muscle infections in children.
Resources
Medline Plus
This website of the U.S. National Library of Medicine features detailed information about osteomyelitis, including links to specialized information about aspects of bone infection and its treatment.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: This web site provides a description, cause, treatments, and symptoms of bone, joint and muscle infections in children.