Total knee arthroplasty infection due to Abiotrophia defectiva

Departments of Orthopedics and *Microbiology, Luebeck University Hospital, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Luebeck, Germany Corresponding author: Dr A. Ince (e-mail: akif_ince{at}hotmail.com ). Received 3 Dec. 2001; revised version received 22 April 2002; accepted 24 April 2002. The first documented case of knee alloarthroplasty infection due to Abiotrophia defectiva , formerly known as nutritionally variant streptococci (NVS) and Streptococcus defectivus , is presented. The microbiology of this bacterium is discussed and clinical features of previously reported cases of infections by NVS are reviewed briefly.