[Osteoarticular tuberculosis. Review - current status of diagnosis and therapy]

Osteo-articular tuberculosis has become now a relatively rare disease in civilized countries. This fact makes the recognition of this infectious disease more difficult. In comparison with the pre-chemotherapeutical era, the time of falling ill has shifted from childhood and youth to the adult age. In our own 804 cases (1970 to 1980) the mean age is now in the seventh decade. The localisation most common seen is the spine, followed by hip- and knee joint. As far as the best therapy is concerned, diagnostics is nowadays as important as formerly. The highly efficient tuberculostatic chemotherapy changed the therapeutic conception concerning osteo-articular tuberculosis. Lengthy immobilisation of the affected joints and bones, in former years the therapy of choice has now be replaced by functional treatment in combination with surgical procedures (radical cleaning of foci).