Introduction: Osteomyelitis pubis is a rare disease that presents with fever, pubic or hip pain, pain during hip movement, and claudication to avoid pain. It most frequently affects young athletes involved in sports that require twisting and cutting, but its exact cause is unknown and no definite treatment has been established. We report a case of pubic osteomyelitis in a young football player who was treated using the Masquelet technique and antibiotics with a good clinical course.
Case reports: A 22-year-old male football player in a national-level university club team visited a nearby clinic complaining of high fever and mild pain in his bilateral hip joints. As a result of examination, we diagnosed osteomyelitis pubis and reconstructed the pubic symphysis by the Masquelet technique. In this case, the joint-like structure of the pubic symphysis was successfully reconstructed, and the patient was able to continue playing the sport. Three years and 3 months after surgery, he had no limitation of bilateral hip joint range of motion and did not display any symptoms while playing football.
Conclusion: Masquelet technique could be a novel surgical method for managing osteomyelitis pubis, even in athletes.
Keywords: Pubic symphysis; athlete; football; infection.
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