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Mechanical properties and drug release behavior of bioactivated PMMA cements

Elke Vorndran1, Nikola Spohn, Berthold Nies

  • 1Department for Functional Materials in Medicine and Dentistry University of Würzburg, Würzburg Germany. elke.vorndran@fmz.uni-wuerzburg.de

Journal of Biomaterials Applications
|September 8, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Novel modified bone cements significantly enhance antibiotic release for treating infected hip implants. Modifications improved tobramycin delivery under mechanical stress, offering a promising solution for septic loosening.

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Infectious Disease Management

Background:

  • Septic loosening of cemented hip implants is a persistent clinical challenge.
  • Current treatments include antibiotic-loaded polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) spacers or cements.
  • Optimizing antibiotic elution from PMMA cements is crucial for effective infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the antibiotic release and mechanical properties of novel PMMA bone cements.
  • To investigate the effect of bioactivation with hydroxyethylmethacrylate-phosphate (HEMA-P) and buffer salts on cement performance.
  • To assess tobramycin release under static and dynamic mechanical conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Chemical modification of commercial PMMA cement with HEMA-P and/or a buffer system (calcium chloride, sodium carbonate).
  • Static and cyclic mechanical loading tests on drug-loaded cement samples.
  • Tobramycin release quantification using PBS buffer immersion and liquid exchange.

Main Results:

  • PMMA cement modification did not significantly compromise mechanical properties.
  • Unmodified cement released ~0.33 mg/cm(2) tobramycin over 48 hours.
  • Modification with HEMA-P and buffer significantly increased tobramycin release to 37-50 mg/cm(2) under cyclic loading.

Conclusions:

  • Bioactivated PMMA cements demonstrate enhanced antibiotic delivery capabilities.
  • The modified cements show potential for improved treatment of infected hip prostheses.
  • Cyclical mechanical loading enhances drug release from modified cement matrices.

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