Table 1.

Demographic data of 50 patients with chronic osteomyelitis.

Variable	Data
Age range in years (mean ± SD)	14–80 (36 ± 16)
Males (%)	45 (90)
Females (%)	5 (10)
Evolution range of COM in months (median)	1–432 (3)
Bones affected by COM:
Femur (%)	21 (42)
Tibia (%)	20 (40)
Fibula and tibia (%)	1 (2)
Other bones (%)	8 (16)
Factor associated with COM:
Trauma (%)	32 (64)
Orthopedic devices (%)	9 (18)
Contiguous infection (%)	6 (12)
Hematogenous (%)	2 (4)
Orthopedic surgery (%)	1 (2)
On antibiotics before bone biopsy* (%)	26 (52)

^* Period of 48 hours before surgery, excluding surgical prophylaxis (two doses maximum).