The clinical presentation of infection is a function of time, location, and the nature of the organism and host. Acute bacterial disorders represent urgent clinical problems that, left untreated, may rapidly lead to joint destruction or bone infarction, sequestration, and development of chronic osteomyelitis. By contrast, the presentation of infection from some bacteria and all other types of organisms tends to be indolent. The clinical presentation, radiologic findings, and morphologic manifestations of osteomyelitis are influenced by the blood supply to bone and joint and by the structural architecture of bone, which is composed of living cells contained in a nonexpandable inorganic framework.