No, do not think so. The likelihood of recurrence is unlikely to ever go to the same low level as an uncompromised bone region in the same patient, and chronic osteomyelitis leaves disorganized bone in its wake that has increased susceptibility to reinfection. I think disease free in the strict sense would only occur if the disorganized bone were removed. However, I think what you are asking is when is the chronic infection is finished, and that varies depending on what antibiotics, procedures, bacterial type and sensitivity, location of bone, immunologic status, age, extent of involved bone (size of lesion), and presenting severity of infection, to name a few. The glib answer is when the patient is clinically disease free, which doesn't sound too solid as an answer. Best answers would be from orthopods on this one.
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