Lessons Learned from Animal Models of Osteomyelitis

Because of the marked variability in presentation and management of osteomyelitis in patients, research with animal models that mimic the human disease offers a more con-trolled approach. Presently available animal models have been used to study pathogene-sis, diagnosis, and treatment of osteomyelitis. Each model has advantages and disadvan-tages. Although it seems improbable that an ideal model of osteomyelitis will be achieved in the near future, further efforts to develop new experimental models and innovative research with present models are clearly needed. Although osteomyelitis is an old disease, there have been relatively few advances in our understanding of its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy. The ap-parent failure of antimicrobial agents in the chronic form of this disease contrasts sharply with the suc-cess of these drugs in almost all other infections [1]. Because of the marked variability of the disease, clin-ical research has been limited and, in general, mos