Table 4.

Late-onset complications of patients with and without abscess formation and at least 3 months of follow-up

Age (years)	Site of osteomyelitis	Abscess (bone or muscle)	Complications	Follow-up (months)
Abscessa
14	Femur	Muscle	1	49
3	Humerus	Bone	2	3
17	Radius	Muscle	3	3
9	Fibula	Bone	4	11
6	Femur	Bone	5	84
15	Femur	Muscle	6	44
8.6	Metatarsal	Bone	7	110
11.6	Tibia	Bone	8	80
No abscessb
5.3	Femur	NA	9	18
4.3	Femur	NA	10	62
0.8	Femur	NA	11	144

Complications: 1, leg-length discrepancy, persistent limp, avascular necrosis of the right femoral head; 2, pathologic fracture at the 3-month follow-up; 3, decreased range of motion of elbow; 4, abnormally wide physis, lost to follow-up; 5, 2.7 cm leg-length discrepancy, antalgic gait; 6, avascular necrosis and collapse of the femoral head; 7, growth retardation of the third (infected) metatarsal with secondary transfer metatarsalgia of the second metatarsal requiring osteotomy 108 months after diagnosis; 8, 1.7 cm leg-length discrepancy requiring epiphysiodesis 3 months after diagnosis; 9: chronic leg pain, osteonecrosis of the right femoral head; 10, 5 mm leg-length discrepancy, abnormal gait; 11, 6 mm leg-length discrepancy, chronic leg pain, avascular necrosis of the femoral head.

^aOf 30 patients with at least 3 months of follow-up.

^bOf 27 patients with at least 3 months of follow-up.