Riassunto

• Plain radiographs still provide the best screening for acute and chronic osteomyelitis.
• MRI, bone scintigraphy, and CT may be used to determine diagnosis and treatment decisions.
• The decision to use oral or parenteral antibiotics should be based on micro-organism sensitivity results, patient compliance, infectious disease consultation, and the surgeon's experience.
• A suppressive antibiotic regimen should be culture-directed.
• Staphylococcus aureus is the pathogen most commonly isolated in cultures.
• Operative treatment includes debridement, obliteration of dead space, restoration of blood supply, adequate soft tissue coverage, stabilisation, and reconstruction.