Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation on different gentamicin-loaded polymethylmethacrylate bone cements

In this in vitro study, the formation of a Staphylococcus aureus biofilm on six gentamicin-loaded bone cements (CMW1, CMW3, CMW Endurance, CMW2000, Palacos, and Palamed) was determined in a modified Robbins device over a 3 days time span and related with previously (Van de Belt et al., Biomaterials 21 (2000) 1981) measured kinetics of antibiotic release by these cement brands. The influence of gentamicin release on biofilm formation was quantified by expressing the number of colony-forming units on gentamicin-loaded cement relative to the number of viable organisms on unloaded cement of the same brand. Biofilms formed on all gentamicin-loaded cements, despite the release of antibiotics, followed a consistent pattern in time with a maximum number of colony-forming units per unit cement area found between 24 and 30 h after inoculation. None of the gentamicin-loaded cements showed a reduction in biofilm formation relative to unloaded cements within 6 h after inoculation, whereas only gentamicin-loaded CMW1 and Palacos reduced biofilm formation 24 h after inoculation. Alternatively, CMW Endurance, CMW2000, and Palamed did not exhibit any initial reductions in biofilm formation, but effects started after 72, 48, and 72 h, respectively. Biofilm reduction by gentamicin-loaded CMW3 lasted the longest from 24 to 72 h. Interestingly, each cement seemed to have a different "window-of-effectiveness" with regard to reduction in biofilm formation that did not relate with the gentamicin-release kinetics. Summarising, this study demonstrates that although gentamicin loading of bone cements yields reductions in biofilm formation, S. aureus is able to grow on gentamicin-loaded bone cements.