Osteomyelitis of the Calcaneus

Despite the widespread use of antibiotics, osteomyelitis occurs with such frequency that it is an important cause of disability in children. Most authors stress the involvement of the long bone metaphyses, particularly in the lower extremity.1-3Except for sporadic case reports, the calcaneus and other round bones of the hands and feet as sites of osteomyelitis are largely ignored. The admission of an 8-year-old boy with osteomyelitis of the calcaneus and ischium prompted us to review our experience with this disorder. Of 90 patients seen with osteomyelitis at St. Louis Children's Hospital since 1959, eight or 8.8% had involvement of the calcaneus. The incidence of osteomyelitis in the os calcis in our series contrasts sharply with that found in the literature. Report of a Case After seven days of pain in his left heel, an 8-year-old white boy was admitted to St. Louis Children's Hospital on Nov 19, 1968.