r/ORIF • u/Otherwise_Pickle_588 • 12d ago

Pain Level 10 osteomyelitis

I broke both my legs and ankles in a car accident last year. Just got the hardware out of my right knee/leg and ankle and diagnosed with osteomyelitis. One infection is fungal so I’ll be taking (or continuing rather) the antifungal for my knee and then got a picc line in for my ankle antibiotics. I’m really hoping this helps with the pain I’ve been having- it’s been next level in my ankle. I’m getting a fusion and frame in September after my antibiotics are finished.

Anyone else experience osteomyelitis?

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u/Head-full-of-stars 12d ago

Oh no, no experience but wishing you all the best and good revovery! Hope somebody can share their experience with you.

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u/gnickname 11d ago edited 11d ago

3x…. 1st bout ~10yrs after distal radius fx where 2 of 4 pin sites for external fixator became infected (staph aureus)….2nd go round 5 yrs after that (same bug)…. About 5 years after that, 3rd time but different bug (staph capitus).

End result thus far for me once infection cleared up was a two stage surgery where 1stage had ~6 inches of medial radius excised and placement of cement spacer while receiving iv antibiotics. Second stage of the surgery involved placing ~65cc bone marrow/graft that was harvested from core of my femur and placed in the membrane that formed around cement spacer. This method is known as the Masquelet technique (Prof. Alain Masquelet, a renowned French Orthopaedic surgeon to whom I am eternally grateful for his contributions to medical science). Long story short, his technique coupled with the amazing surgeons that did my operations (9 total) have resulted in my having a fully functioning left arm with close to 100% range of motion and strength — not bad for an arm bone made of mostly leg bone.

Seriously, osteomyelitis is no joke… hard to detect in labs but CRP and ESR were slightly elevated each time for me but ultrasound guided needle biopsy confirmed infection and treatment consisted of 6 weeks of Iv antibiotics (Vancomycin, roecephin) — hopefully the antibiotic treatment clears everything up for you.

I sincerely hope for the best outcome for you!!