What is Osteomyelitis and why is it so difficult to treat?
Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone tissue itself. It may be caused by direct inoculation of bacteria as a result of trauma, by spread of bacteria from adjacent infected areas such as ulcers, or by seeding of bacteria from infections elsewhere in the body via the bloodstream. Throughout life bone is constantly renewed and replaced, so that small colonies of bacteria can become sealed within the matrix or substance of the bone during longstanding infection. Here they may lie in a dormant state for many years and produce no symptoms. However, at times of lowered resistance and with increasing age infection may break out causing pain and discharge from sinuses surrounding the bone. Osteomyelitis is difficult to treat because antibiotics do not readily penetrate bone, making infection difficult to eradicate by conventional means.
