We treated 13 children with histologically confirmed cystic tuberculosis of bone. Ten had solitary cystic lesions and three had the multicystic form. Signs and symptoms were related mainly to the joint adjacent to the cyst. Most lesions were in the metaphyses of long bones. They were radiolucent, round or oval, and resembled pyogenic infections, aneurysmal and simple bone cysts, cartilaginous tumours or osteoid osteoma. Only two of the children had pulmonary tuberculosis. The Mantoux skin test was negative in four children and the ESR was normal in five. Curettage followed by anti-tuberculosis therapy for one year resulted in good healing, but two children had residual joint contractures. Biopsy should be taken from the cystic area rather than from the synovium when a joint is involved.

Twenty-three patients, aged from 10 to 60 years, underwent open reduction for untreated posterior dislocations of the elbow. The dislocations had been unreduced for periods varying from one month to two years. All patients underwent a standard procedure based on the Speed technique. Complications after operation included one case of gross sepsis and five cases of ulnar neuritis. Most patients gained a useful range of flexion-extension of the elbow. Neither the age of the patient nor the duration of the unreduced dislocation influenced the result.