Diabetic foot osteomyelitis: Control and therapy through nanotechnology

Abstract

Osteomyelitis (OM) also known as bone infection is a subtle but a severe condition. OM in diabetic foot is a complication of a foregoing foot infection. The conventional remedies for osteomyelitis include prolonged and aggressive use of antibiotics and surgical intervention in case of severe infections. The treatment of bone infections through antibiotics often fails due to a widespread range of drug-resistant bacteria, poor accessibility of many antimicrobials to the deeper parts of the bones, facile formation of biofilm on the bone surface, and elevated hazards associated with drug toxicity. Nanotechnology-based interventions provide the possible solutions owing to their high targeting potential and efficient delivery, thus leading to the development of novel anti-infective formulations. The nanodelivery systems can be devised with precise functional moieties capable of selective transport of drugs to the specific site in a controlled manner, thus overcoming the most significant milestone in formulating anti-infectives. This chapter aims to explore the application of nanotechnology for the treatment of OM. Further, the pathogenic events along with the available therapeutic remedies, their disadvantages, and the role of nanosizing in OM have been discussed at length.