ORIGINAL RESEARCH Open Access

Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleoccasionally culture-positive infections. There was a correlation (r = 0.645; P = 0.013) between semi-quantitative score of leukocyte infiltration and the 18 F-FDG uptake in animals with positive cultures. Standardized uptake value (SUV) of the infected bones was twofold (P< 0.001) in S. aureus animals compared with S. epidermidis animals, but there was only a trend (P = 0.053, ANOVA) in the differences of the corresponding SUV ratios. This was due to the altered 18 F-FDG uptake of the contralateral tibias probably reflecting a systemic impact of severe osteomyelitis. Conclusion: The peri-implant inoculation of S. epidermidis, reflecting low virulence of the pathogen and limited leukocyte infiltration, was characterized by low 18 F-FDG uptake