Osteomyelitis in rural India.

Osteomyelitis is a common disease of the poor in the rural population in India. It occurs commonly in children. During the period 1963 to 1979 500 cases of osteomyelitis of various bones have been studied from the point of view of aetiology, pathology and presentation. Acute cases were treated by resting the part and appropriate antibiotics. Incision and drainage of abscesses was performed whenever necessary. Chronic cases were treated by sequestrectomy. Sequestrectomy and saucerization are contraindicated where an involucrum is not formed. Sequestrectomy in such cases leads to collapse of the periosteal tube and a flail limb. This challenging problem was successfully treated in most of the cases. Chronic osteomyelitis is a nonspecific infection. In 25 cases the histopathology of biopsy material from the operated area showed tuberculous tissues. These case of tuberculous osteomyelitis of long bones have a granular sequestrum and thick sclerosis of the cortical bone. Such cases need a full course of antituberculous drugs.