Enterococcus faecalis is an opportunistic pathogen, which today represents one of the leading aetiologic agents of nosocomial infections and, increasingly, of implant infections. Here, in a collection of 43 E. faecalis isolated from implant orthopaedic infections, virulence-related phenotypes (biofilm and gelatinase production) and genotypes (gelE and esp) were studied to characterize epidemic clones identified and grouped by ribotyping. The presence of the esp gene and a marked and steady biofilm formation ability appeared to be the features associated with the clonal spreading, as well as a conspicuous gelatinase production, whereas the simple presence of gelE appeared non-specific of the epidemic clones. Antibiotic multi-resistance and strong biofilm production abilities together with a high phenotypic expression of gelatinase are an important equipment of E. faecalis to colonize peri-prosthesis tissues and to spread out as causative agents of implant orthopaedic infections.