Acute haematogenous osteomyelitis refers to infection of bone resulting from bacteria in the bloodstream. This is seen most often in children, with initial infection thought to occur in the richly vascularised metaphyseal region (Gutierrez, 2005). Children are thought to experience frequent episodes of bacteraemia, often with no apparent symptoms, leading to seeding and development of osteomyelitis (Conrad, 2010). The pathogenesis of this process has been theoretically described. Inoculation of the metaphyseal vessels occurs at the transition point from the arteriolar vessels to the venous sinusoids, slowing blood flow and increasing vascular turbulence (Jansson et al., 2009). These sites of.
