Chronic Osteomyelitis after Seven Years Neglected Bone Exposed in 12-Year-Old Boy: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Access to modern medicine is still limited in some rural areas in Indonesia. This is mostly due to lack of people's knowledge and concern for their health, especially in orthopaedic cases. Osteomyelitis is generally described as infection and inflammation of the bone, which results in local bone destruction, necrosis, and apposition of new bone. Chronic post-traumatic osteomyelitis (CPTO) is a complex condition and one of the most challenging problems in orthopaedic surgery that cause considerable morbidity.

CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of chronic post-traumatic osteomyelitis with radial nerve injury, in which radical surgical debridement and broad-spectrum antibiotic administration were done. A 12-year-old boy with a history of falling from the three-meter-high tree had swollen, deformed, and neglected humerus bone exposed. After stabilisation in the emergency room, surgical limb amputation was scheduled, yet the family refused this medical care and chose debridement instead.

CONCLUSION: This case is an important addition to the literature about chronic post-traumatic osteomyelitis with neglected bone exposed and the lacking of society's concern in regards to orthopaedic cases.