Why Bone Infections Are So Serious

Your skin is your body's largest organ and it’s designed to provide front-line protection, especially from harmful invaders that cause infection. Should an infection get past this strong barrier, it instantly becomes more serious, which is certainly true of bone infections, or osteomyelitis.

For the tens of millions of Americans with less-than-ideal circulation in their lower limbs, often due to diabetes or peripheral artery disease (PAD), skin and bone infections are a clear threat. And, as we just pointed out, infections that get past the skin and go bone deep are not good news.

To paint a clearer picture about why Dr. Thomas Rambacher and the team at Foot Ankle Leg Wound Care Orange County are so concerned about bone infections, we present the following information.

When infection looms large for some populations

As we just mentioned, there are certain populations that need to be more concerned about infections, especially those who are immunocompromised. 

For the purposes of this discussion, we’re going to focus on population segments that are at risk for infection due to foot, ankle, or leg wounds that are slow to heal.

For people with poor circulation to their lower limbs — namely, people with diabetes and PAD — their risks for developing lower leg ulcers and wounds that become infected increase considerably. As an example, about 60% of diabetic foot wounds are complicated by infection. 

If the infection stayed in the skin, that would be one thing, but 10% to 15% of moderate infections and half of severe infections extend to the bone.

The reason this occurs is because a compromised circulation prevents healing resources from getting to the wound in the amount and timeliness needed to stay one step ahead of infection-causing bacteria.

When infection reaches the bone

For a bone infection to develop, it likely means that your skin — your primary defense — was unable to stop the infection and it has grown. As the infection grows and encompasses more skin, it can also reach inward and gain access to your bone.

With osteomyelitis, the bacteria get into your bone marrow through your bloodstream, where they continue to feed and reproduce, allowing the infection to spread and claim more living tissue.

Our biggest concern with bone infections is osteonecrosis, which is like gangrene in the skin, meaning the tissues die off and do not regenerate. This can leave amputation as the only way to contain the infection, preventing it from spreading to more skin and bone tissues.

Treating bone infections

Seeking prompt attention for any infection in your lower limbs is paramount when you’re at risk for infection. The longer you delay, the higher your chances for bigger complications like osteomyelitis.

If, despite best efforts, you do develop a bone infection, Dr. Rambacher accesses his extensive toolkit and fights back with:

• Debridement
• Intravenous antibiotics
• Wound care products

Dr. Rambacher also specializes in limb-sparing procedures that focus on removing infected tissues while preserving as much of the bone and skin as possible.

So, if you have an infection that’s slow to heal, please see us as soon as possible so that we can prevent the infection from reaching your bone. And if it has, rest assured, you’re in capable and experienced hands with our team.

For expert treatment of bone infections, please call our office in Mission Viejo, California, at 949-832-6018 or request an appointment online today.