Orthopaedic care

If you have osteomyelitis, you are likely to experience pain, swelling, redness or a warm feeling around an area of bone. You usually feel it in the long bones of your legs (femur). This may be combined with a high temperature or fever, although less so in young children.You should be especially aware of these symptoms if you've had osteomyelitis before.

When diagnosing osteomyelitis, you'll probably have a blood test done first. Your consultant or GP may then also recommend a scan, or a biopsy when they'll take a small amount fluid from the bone to test it.

If you have osteomyelitis, your consultant will prescribe you antibiotics, usually for at least six weeks. If the infection is severe, you may have to stay in hospital to have antibiotics intravenously, which is when they are given directly into your vein. In some cases, you may need surgery. This could be to remove bone damaged by the infection, to prevent possible deformity or to relieve pressure on the spinal cord.