1. YOHANANTH SIVANANTHAN
NEPALGUNJ MEDICAL COLLEGE
NEPALGUNJ

2.  This can be divided in to two types
 General complications
 Local complications
 General complications
 Child may develop septicemia and pyemia in
early stage
 Uncontrolled may prove fatal

3.  Local complication
 It is unfortunate that a large number of cases of
acute osteomyelitis in developing countries develop
serious complications.
 Most of these are because of delay in diagnosis and
inadequate treatment.Some of the common
complications are as follws:
 Chronic osteomyelitis
 Commonest complication of acute osteomyelitis.
 There are hardly any radiological features in the
early stage.
 Delay in diagnosis leads to sequestrum formation
and pent-up pus in the cavities inside the bone.
 Poor host ressistance is another reason for the
chronicity of the disease.

4.  Acute pyogenic arthritis
 This occurs in joints where metaphysis is intraarticular
 Eg: the hip (upper femoral metaphysis), the
shoulder (upper humeral metaphysis)
 Pathological fracture
 This occurs through a bone which has been weakened
by the window made during surgery.
 It can be avoided by adequately splinting the limb.
 Growth plate disturbances
 It may be damaged leading to complete or partial
cessation of growth.
 This may lead to shortening lengthening or deformity
of limb.