Osteomyelitis of the hand after a human bite.

Twenty-four cases of osteomyelitis of the hand after human bite were reviewed. The mechanism of injury was equally divided between incisor bites and clenched fists. Eleven of twelve of the clenched-fist injuries showed a tooth mark in the bone or cartilage at the site of inoculation. The incisor bites showed initial infection of the soft tissues or joint with a secondary infection of the bone. Factors leading to the development of osteomyelitis included a delay of more than 24 hours before debridement or inadequate initial treatment. Bacteriologic study commonly showed mixed infections with skin and oral flora. The infections were prone to relapse, and nine patients required more than one surgical debridement.