Symptoms of Bone Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis can occur in any part of the body; the most common form is pulmonary tuberculosis, which is highly contagious and poses significant health risks. In fact, the primary underlying cause of skeletal tuberculosis (also known as bone tuberculosis) is typically pulmonary tuberculosis. When Mycobacterium tuberculosis disseminates from a pulmonary lesion, it may invade bones and joints—this constitutes skeletal tuberculosis. So, what are the symptoms of skeletal tuberculosis? The following section addresses this question.

Symptoms of Skeletal Tuberculosis

1. Pain

Pain is a prominent symptom among patients with skeletal tuberculosis. If the disease affects the spine, patients often experience radiating pain localized to the affected area. During the early stages, the pain may be mild or subtle; however, as the disease progresses, the pain intensifies progressively—even manifesting as muscular pain during deep sleep.

2. Swelling

When skeletal tuberculosis involves superficial joints, localized joint swelling commonly occurs. Without timely and appropriate intervention, secondary infection may develop. At this stage, local skin temperature rises noticeably, and cold abscesses (tuberculous abscesses) or paraspinal masses may form—particularly in spinal tuberculosis. These masses often exhibit fluctuation upon palpation.

3. Deformity

Functional impairment usually appears in the later stages of skeletal tuberculosis, when substantial damage has occurred to the affected bone. This may lead to restricted joint mobility—including inability to flex, extend, adduct, abduct, or rotate the joint—significantly impairing daily activities. As the disease advances, further limitation of joint motion results in deformity; in spinal tuberculosis, angular kyphotic deformity is frequently observed.

The above outlines the key symptoms of skeletal tuberculosis. We hope this information proves helpful to you.