Lessons Learnt from an Atypical Mycobacterium Infection Post-Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

The reported incidence rate of septic arthritis following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction ranges from 0.4%–1.7%1) with the majority of infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis.1) Myco-bacterium infections following ACL reconstructions are rare, with only 9 reported cases in the literature.2,3) To our knowledge, there are no previous reports citing Mycobac-terium abscessus as the culprit pathogen. M. abscessus comes from the family of rapidly-growing Mycobacterium (RGM), which have been impli-cated in prosthetic joint infections postoperatively. Such infections are some of the most challenging to treat due to their high pathogenicity and resistance to chemotherapy. The bacterium is typically found in soil, sewage and natu-ral water sources, and has been associated with nosoco