[The classification of osteomyelitis]

The article presents the classification of osteomyelitis commonly used by us, where the four typical characteristics are described by means of figure codes: Cause of infection (A), duration of infection (D), bone findings (K) and soft part findings (W) at the beginning of osteomyelitis therapy. The characteristics are represented by different figure combinations, single-digit figures being sufficient for description, whereas multiple-digit figures (maximum: 4) are required for more exact typing. Each characteristic is coded separate from the others, thus making it possible to communicate individual characteristics. --Our findings are always based on simple measurement data. Bone defects are calculated approximately spatially by means of transformation. The concepts and definitions are explained. --Classification is intended to be helpful when compiling differentiated statistics and to enable a comparison in case of diagnostic or therapeutic studies on osteomyelitis.