Osteomyelitis is an infection in a bone. Infections can reach a bone by traveling through the bloodstream or spreading from nearby tissue. Infections can also begin in the bone itself if an injury exposes the bone to germs. Infections can reach bones by travelling through the bloodstream or spreading from nearby tissue.Common symptoms include pain, fever and chills.People affected with Osteomyelitis may also experience pain in bones or hip, chills, fatigue, fever, malaise, or night sweats in whole body, ulcers or redness in skin including swelling.Treatment is usually surgery to remove portions of bone that have died. This is followed by strong antibiotics, often by an IV, for at least six weeks. 

Osteomyelitis can affect both adults and children. The bacteria or fungus that can cause osteomyelitis, however, differs among age groups. In adults, osteomyelitis often affects the vertebrae and the pelvis. In children, osteomyelitis usually affects the adjacent ends of long bones. Long bones (bones in the arms or legs) are large, dense bones that provide strength, structure and mobility. They include the femur and tibia in the legs and the humerus and radius in the arms. Osteomyelitis is not more common in a particular race or gender. However, some people are more at risk for developing the disease, including: People with diabetes, Patients receiving hemodialysis, People with weakened immune systems,  sickle cell disease, Intravenous drug abusers and the elderly. 

It can be caused by a variety of microbial agents (most common in staphylococcus aureus) and situations, including: an open injury to the bone, such as an open fracture with the bone ends coming out through the skin, minor trauma, which can lead to a blood clot around the bone and then a secondary infection from seeding of bacteria, bacteria in the bloodstream (bacteremia), which is deposited in a focal (localized) area of the bone. This bacterial site in the bone then grows, resulting in destruction of the bone. However, new bone often forms around the site and (or) a chronic open wound or soft tissue infection can eventually extend down to the bone surface, leading to a direct bone infection.