Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Bone Infections
Like other parts of the body, bones can get infected. The infections are usually bacterial, but can also be fungal. They may spread to the bone from nearby skin or muscles, or from another part of the body through the bloodstream. People who are at risk for bone infections include those with diabetes, poor circulation, or recent injury to the bone. You may also be at risk if you are having hemodialysis.
Symptoms of bone infections include:
- Pain in the infected area
- Chills and fever
- Swelling, warmth, and redness
A blood test or imaging test such as an x-ray can tell if you have a bone infection. Treatment includes antibiotics and often surgery.
It sits within Bones, Joints and Muscles and Infections.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Bone Infections
1,059 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Natural History of Trisomy 8-Associated Autoinflammatory Disease (TRIAD) and Related DisordersNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Phase 1 Challenge Study Using rDEN2delta30-7169 to Evaluate Host-Pathogen Interactions in Primary, Homotypic, and Heterotypic Dengue Virus InfectionNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- The Cancer Connected Access and Remote Expertise Beyond Walls Program to Provide In-Home Cancer Treatment and Improve Treatment Satisfaction in Cancer Patients Living in the Florida Panhandle and Surrounding AreasMayo Clinic
- Naive T Cell Depletion for Preventing Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease in Children and Young Adults With Blood Cancers Undergoing Donor Stem Cell TransplantFred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole vs. Clindamycin for the Treatment of Children With Invasive MRSA InfectionsIndiana University
- Antibiotic Device for Osteomyelitis of the Extremities Pivotal Trial - Genex With Gentamicin.Biocomposites Ltd
Research already completed
- Retrospective Study of Viral Reactivation Across All Bone Marrow Transplant Protocols Since 2010National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Evaluation of Mandibular Bone Microstructure Changes After Periodontal Treatment (M-BONE Study)Akdeniz University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- OsteomyelitisMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- OsteomyelitisNemours Foundation
Diagnosis and Tests
- Bone ScanMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Bone X-RayRadiological Society of North America
- Musculoskeletal MRIRadiological Society of North America
Treatments and Therapies
- Hyperbaric Oxygen TherapyMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Bone Diseases, InfectiousNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: OsteomyelitisNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Bone Diseases, Infectious. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Bone Infections, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.