Treatment of chronic hematogenous osteomyelitis of the child. Preliminary results in a series of 49 patients in Yaoundé (Cameroun)

The authors are reporting the surgical procedure indicated in a serie of 49 children operated for chronic hemategenous osteomyelitis. The mean age was 13 and the mean time of follow up after the last procedure 14 months. 33% of patients underwent a one stage procedure consisting of radical resection of the infection with primary closure as the location of the disease was fibular, iliaque bone or in the upper tibia. 47% of the children with femoral or humeral disease underwent a debridement followed 2 weeks later by a skin graft. A last group of 20% of patients underwent 3 stages procedure with the second consisting of cancellous bone graft or solleous myoplastic as the bone deficit appear respectively as a biomecanic or plastic issue. In the short and mean term follow up, the outcome was good in 90% of patients.