pharmacological treatment of osteomyelitis

Abstract

Administration of locally acting antibiotics is important as it allows the best availability of the drug. Besides the invasive measure that needs to take place it has been proven very effective in the treatment of osteomyelitis. Non-biodegradable carriers such as PMMA has been the gold standard go to method for years. It has revolutionized the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis. It provides mechanical stability of the bone while also simultaneously having an antimicrobial effect. Due to its non-absorbable property however, it is a problem to reopen the wound to remove the implanted material as the drug levels will eventually reach a suboptimal level. As a result pathogens can reside on the carrier and thrive to form new colonies and spread to the surrounding tissue. Moreover, such invasive intervention risks nosocomial infections and possible complications due to errors caused by the medical staff.