- How the diagnosis is made
- Treatment options for bone tuberculosis
- Is bone tuberculosis curable?
- Is bone tuberculosis contagious?
- How to get bone tuberculosis
- Possible complications
Bone tuberculosis especially affects the spine, a condition known as Pott's disease, the hip or knee joint, and especially affects children or the elderly, with weakened immune systems. This disease occurs because the koch bacillus , which is responsible for tuberculosis in the lungs, can enter the respiratory tract, reach the blood and become lodged within the joints.
Almost half of the cases of extrapulmonary tuberculosis refer to tuberculosis in the spine, followed by cases of tuberculosis in the hip and knee. The treatment of all of them includes taking antibiotics prescribed by the doctor and physical therapy for a few months.
What are the symptoms
The symptoms of bone tuberculosis vary widely and tend to worsen over time. The most common symptoms are:
- Pain in the spine, hip or knee joint, which progressively worsens; Difficulty in movement, when bending the leg or walking with a limp; Swelling in the knee, when it is affected; Decreased muscle mass of the affected leg; There may be low fever.
The diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis is time-consuming because the initial symptoms may point only to pain and limited movement in the affected joint, a very common symptom in case of transient hip synovitis, a disease more common in childhood.
How the diagnosis is made
With the increase in the severity and permanence of symptoms, after a few months, upon returning to the doctor, the doctor may request an x-ray examination of the affected joint may indicate a small decrease in the space within the joint, which is not always valued. Other imaging tests that can show bone involvement are magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound, which can also show signs of infection. However, it is proven that it is musculoskeletal tuberculosis when the presence of Bacillus is identified within the joint, which can be done through biopsy of the synovial fluid or affected bone.
Treatment options for bone tuberculosis
The treatment for bone tuberculosis includes taking antibiotics for 6-9 months and physical therapy, which can be useful to reduce the pain and discomfort generated, increasing free movement of the joints and strengthening the muscles.
Is bone tuberculosis curable?
Bone tuberculosis is curable, but to achieve it, one must take the drugs prescribed by the doctor at the same time, every day, even if the symptoms of the disease have disappeared before. Physiotherapy is also indicated and can be performed 2-5 times a week, and electrotherapeutic resources, joint mobilization, stretching and strengthening exercises for muscle mass recovery can be used.
Is bone tuberculosis contagious?
Bone tuberculosis is not contagious and therefore the individual does not need to stay away from others.
How to get bone tuberculosis
Bone tuberculosis occurs when the victim comes into contact with another person who has pulmonary tuberculosis, presenting with a cough. The bacillus enters the victim's body through the airways, reaches the blood and settles inside the spine, hip or knee. The victim may not have the classic signs and symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis, but the fact that he / she had this disease and did not perform the treatment correctly increases the chances of the bacillus affecting other areas of the body.
Possible complications
When the treatment is not performed, the bacillus present in the joint brings complications such as bone deformity, fatigue, shortening of the leg, which can favor scoliosis and even paralysis.
