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Jaw osteomyelitis
I am about to undergo my 3rd jaw debridement for osteomyelitis. Started with a cracked tooth as a result from root canal. Spread to neighboring molar and now missing two. I’ve had two debridements along with 2 PICC lines without resolution. Wondering if there’s another way to treat this
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Hello @k245888, welcome to Connect. I'd like to introduce a few members who have talked about osteomyelitis here on Connect, albeit different areas of the body. @konniehoover, @carole1, @pmaze2663 have all discussed osteomyelitis on Connect in the past and I am inviting them back to Connect to share their experiences with treatment and management.
@k245888, you mention that you have already had two debridements along with 2 PICC lines with antibiotics that have been unsuccessful. If you are comfortable sharing, has your provider identified the type of bacteria/germ that has infected your bones? Here is what Mayo Clinic has to say as far as treatment for myelitis, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteomyelitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20375917, which sounds similar to the path your current provider has taken.
Hi Mr. McClanahan, thank you so much for taking the time to write. There has never been an organism identified. What I didn’t mention in my post was that I had what was eventually diagnosed as osteomyelitis in my heel about 18 years ago. Over a 10 year period I had 3 debridements without antibiotics, 2 without a graft and 1 with an allograft. None of those treatments helped long term. No organism ever grew at that time either. The treatment that ultimately worked was a more aggressive debridement with an antiobiotic filled cement spacer, later replaced with an autograft. I was told by my current maxillofacial doctor that that’s not an option in the jaw. Thanks again for your interest, I will check out the website you mentioned.