Arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment of hip-joint tuberculosis

Objective To study the arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment of hip-joint tuberculosis. Methods Sixteen patients who underwent arthroscopic diagnosis and treatment of hip-joint tuberculosis from March 2001 to March 2008 in our department were divided into early lesion group and late lesion group according to the severity of their lesion. The function of their hip-joint was evaluated with Harris score system before and after operation. Results The score for the hip-joint function in early lesion group was 86.00±10.33 before operation and 50.89±21.12 one year after operation, indicating that the hip-joint function was significantly improved after operation. The patients had a normal life. The score for the hip-joint function in late lesion group was 3.33±2.07 before operation and 62.15±17.36 one year after operation. Although the hip-joint function was significantly improved compared with before operation, the patients had pain at hip-joint and some of the hip-joint functions were limited. Conclusion Arthroscope can be used in diagnosis and treatment of hip-joint tuberculosis, especially for the early lesion.