Our orthopaedic hospital attempts to culture tuberculosis (TB) bacteria from all bone and joint samples sent to the microbiology laboratory. We looked at 6162 TB cultures performed between 2017 and 2022. Bacteria that cause TB, or similar bacteria, were found in 1 in every 229 patients. Tests were more likely to be positive in people being investigated for cancer (sarcoma) and in samples from the spine, whereas they were much less likely to be positive in samples taken from replacement joints.