Osteitis and Osteomyelitis

Bone marrow inflammation (osteomyelitis) is an infectious inflammation of the bone marrow. Patients are often affected after taking bisphosphonates. These are medications used to treat bone metastases, myelomas or osteoporosis (e.g. zolendronate).

Osteitis, on the other hand, is a term used to describe an inflammation of the bone, in which all components of the bone are infected. Common causes for osteitis include open bone fractures and skeletal surgeries that have led to a bacterial contamination of the bone.

If such an acute illness is not treated – mostly surgically – at an early stage, it usually becomes chronic.