Bones

Bone serves many important functions. Bones support the body, protect underlying organs, and provide a movable skeleton against which the muscles can work. In addition, bone forms all the cells of the blood, plus takes part in calcium and acid-base balance, and storage of trace elements (such as zinc) needed by cells elsewhere. bone as the most lasting parts of the body, bones are traditionally used for ‘mortal remains’. The longest bone is the femur (thigh bone), which accounts for a quarter of one's stature; the smallest bone is the stapes — one of the tiny ossicles in the middle ear which transmits the vibrations from the ear drum to the inner ear. There are over 200 bones in the adult skeleton. They can be divided into two principal types: the long bones such as the femur, tibia, and humerus, which develop principally from within a cartilaginous framework, and the flat bones such as the skull, bones of the pelvis, and scapula, which develop within membranes of fibrous tissue.

Bone Infection

Infection is invasion of the body with organisms that have the potential to cause disease. Bone infection occurs when bacteria invade bone, either through the bloodstream or by contact with the outside environment. The bacteria eat away at the bone and damage the local blood supply to that bone, consequently preventing antibiotics from reaching the bacteria. Infection often causes redness, swelling, and pain in the affected limb. Sometimes, fluid exits through the skin. This is called a draining sinus tract. Occasionally, the infection weakens the bone so much that the bone breaks.