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.