Reactivation of Ancient Tuberculous Arthritis of the Hip Following Total Hip Arthroplasty

The literature on the treatment of ancient tuberculous arthritis with late total joint replacement is sparse, and there is no clearly recommended plan of care. We report the case of a patient who had reactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis following total hip arthroplasty after sixty-four years of quiescence. Several key points regarding clinical strategies are explored, including assessment of the need for chemoprophylaxis, the importance of long periods of quiescence of active tuberculosis, and the options for treating tuberculous infection at the site of a joint replacement.