ABSTRACT
Micro-organisms may reach the bones and joints via the blood stream from a distant site, or by direct invasion from a skin puncture, operation or an open fracture. Depending on the type of organism, the site of infection and the host response, the result may be a pyogenic osteomyelitis or arthritis, a chronic granulomatous reaction (classically seen in tuberculosis) or an indolent response to an unusual organism (e.g. a fungal infection).
