Arthroscopic operations in joint tuberculosis

We assessed the usefulness of arthroscopy in bone and joint tuberculosis (11 knees, 1 elbow and 1 ankle). In all 11 patients with knee joint involvement the arthroscopic operation were successful with a significant improvement in the range of motion (P=0.007) and knee score (P=0.003). There were no cases of reactivation or recurrence during a follow-up period of 15-42 months. In contrast, in the two patients with ankle or elbow joint involvement and bone destruction, arthroscopy had to be converted to open operation. Minor trauma, a short hospitalization time and a short post-operative rehabilitation period combined with good cosmetic and clinical results favor the use of the arthroscopic technology in the surgical treatment of tuberculous arthritis of the knee. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.