Bone & Joint Infections

Infection in bone (osteomyelitis) or around an implant is one of the most feared complications in orthopaedics — it can prevent healing, destroy bone and threaten the limb. It demands a methodical, evidence-based approach combining surgery and targeted antibiotics.

Dr. Naik was a Co-Investigator in the AO Foundation's 'INFINITY' study — the world's largest multicentre study on infection in fracture fixation — bringing global research directly to the care of his patients.

• Persistent pain, swelling, warmth or redness over a bone or surgical site
• Wound discharge or a sinus tract that keeps opening
• Fever accompanying deep limb pain
• A fracture that stops healing after surgery
• A previously treated infection that keeps returning

Blood tests, MRI and tissue cultures identify the organism and its extent. Samples taken in the operating theatre — not just from the wound surface — guide precise antibiotic choice.

Treatment combines meticulous surgical cleaning (debridement), removal or exchange of infected implants where necessary, dead-space management, and a tailored course of antibiotics guided by culture results. Complex cases are staged: clear the infection first, rebuild the bone second.

Bone infection is a marathon, not a sprint — antibiotics for several weeks, close monitoring, and sometimes more than one operation. With systematic treatment, the majority of infections are eradicated and limbs preserved.