Ways To Treat And Prevent Osteomyelitis

Prosthesis Replacement

Individuals with prosthetic limbs and joints have an increased risk of developing infections and those with prosthetics, such as steel rods or screws placed into the bone following a compound fracture, should be particularly aware of the signs of osteomyelitis. The increased risk stems from the fact most prosthetics placed in the body are metal, and the immune system is unable to deliver white blood cells to the prosthetic to fight off infection. Osteomyelitis infections can be recurring, and when consistent recurrences of infection occur in a prosthetic limb, it may be necessary to remove the prosthetic and get a prosthesis replacement. The procedure would involve placing the individual under general anesthesia to extract the infected prosthetic. In some cases, if the bone has re-aligned or completely healed, there will be no need to insert a new prosthetic.