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Definition
- Acute infection of bone usually initiated by haematogenous dissemination of bacteria
- Can also be caused by granulomatous, viral & parasitic processes
Historical
- Osteomyelitis coined by Nelaton in 1844
- Lexer in 1894 injected measured doses of S aureus into animal veins & after traumatization of bone, osteomyelitis developed
- Hobo in 1921 described the metaphyseal blood supply & its relevance to osteomyelitis
- Trueta in 1928 saw mortality of 20% before antibiotic therapy but dropped to 3.5% with sulphonamides & then almost zero in last 40 years
- Hoyt, Davis & Van Buren in 1941 found nonoperative treatment successful & so raised the issue of operative neccessity
