THE therapeutic aspects of osteomyelitis of the lower jaw can be approached only by a consideration of the pathologic changes of the disease in its relationship to the etiology and anatomic characteristics.
From the standpoint of etiology, it is generally agreed that Staphylococcus aureus is found in about 90 per cent of the cases of osteomyelitis in general. The next commonest organism is Streptococcus. In a certain percentage of cases, there is a mixture of the two types of organisms. Pneumococcus is the third most frequent organism. The identification of the infecting organism has some bearing on the chemotherapeutic aspects of osteomyelitis in relation to the associated bacteremia, which is present in some degree in practically all cases.
The pathologic changes of osteomyelitis of the mandible in relation to its anatomic characteristics are divided into two phases: first, the phase which involves the dissemination of bacteria after they have entered