[Bone and joint tuberculosis in the field of orthopedics]

In Japan the number of patients with bone and joint tuberculosis has been dramatically decreasing since the beginning of 1980's. The number of patients was 1626 in 1978 according to statistics of tuberculosis patient in Japan. This was only 2.02% of new tuberculosis patients of Japan in 1978. Since that time the number of patients with bone and joint tuberculosis, in Japan, has been in steady decline. The number was only 675 patients in 1996. This was only 1.34% of new tuberculosis patients. The rate of new infections also decreased. Recently due to the development of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and so on, patients with bone and joint tuberculosis can be diagnosed early, with great certainty. Curettage of infected focus and bone grafting via anterior approach has resulted in consistently improved results. While there are many reports of about the operative treatment with spinal instruments for spinal tuberculosis, artificial materials must be implanted with great care.