Bone and joint infections are recognized as difficult-to-treat infections that result in significant morbidity and mortality among patients and increased healthcare costs. This article presents the recommendations for the diagnosis and management of osteomyelitis and prosthetic joint infections in adults developed by Bone and Joint Infections Committee for the Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases. It contains data published through to November 2007. An evidence-based scoring system that is used by the Infectious Diseases Society of America was applied to treatment recommendations.