Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
A Novel Method to Determine the Longitudinal Antibacterial Activity of Drug-Eluting Materials
Published on: March 3, 2023
In vitro study of elution kinetics and bio-activity of meropenem-loaded acrylic bone cement
Sumant Samuel1, Binu S Mathew, Balaji Veeraraghavan
1Department of Orthopedics (Unit III), Christian Medical College, Ida Scudder road, Vellore, 632004, TN, India. sumantsamuel@gmail.com
Background:
Use of antibiotic-loaded acrylic bone cement to treat orthopaedic infections continues to remain popular, but resistance to routinely used antibiotics has led to the search for alternative, more effective antibiotics. We studied, in vitro, the elution kinetics and bio-activity of different concentrations of meropenem-loaded acrylic bone cement.
Methods:
Meropenem-loaded bone cement cylinders of different concentrations were serially immersed in normal saline. Elution kinetics was studied by measuring the drug concentration in the eluate, collected at pre-determined intervals, by high-performance liquid chromatography. Bio-activity of the eluate of two different antibiotic concentrations was tested for a period of 3 weeks against each of the following organisms: Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 2593 (MSSA), Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, S. aureus ATCC 43300 (MRSA) and Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 700603 (ESBL).
Results:
Meropenem elutes from acrylic bone cement for a period of 3-27 days depending on the concentration of antibiotic. Higher doses of antibiotic concentration resulted in greater elution of the antibiotic. The eluate was found to be biologically active against S. aureus ATCC 2593 (MSSA), P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853, E. coli ATCC 25922 and K. pneumoniae ATCC 700603 (ESBL) for a period of 3 weeks.
Conclusions:
The elution of meropenem is in keeping with typical antibiotic-loaded acrylic bone cement elution characteristics. The use of high-dose meropenem-loaded acrylic bone cement seems to be an attractive option for treatment of resistant Gram-negative orthopaedic infections but needs to be tested in vivo.
Insights
High-dose meropenem in acrylic bone cement shows promising elution and bioactivity against resistant Gram-negative orthopaedic infections. Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm its efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Antibiotic-loaded acrylic bone cement is a common treatment for orthopaedic infections.
- Rising antibiotic resistance necessitates exploring alternative antibiotics like meropenem.
- This study investigates meropenem-loaded bone cement's elution and bioactivity in vitro.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the in vitro elution kinetics of meropenem from acrylic bone cement at various concentrations.
- To assess the in vitro bioactivity of meropenem eluates against a panel of common orthopaedic pathogens.
- To determine the potential of meropenem-loaded bone cement as a treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections.
Main Methods:
- Acrylic bone cement cylinders loaded with different meropenem concentrations were prepared.
- Elution kinetics were analyzed by measuring drug concentration in saline eluates over time using HPLC.
- Bioactivity of meropenem eluates was tested against Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA and MRSA), Enterococcus faecalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL).
Main Results:
- Meropenem eluted from bone cement over 3-27 days, with higher concentrations yielding greater elution.
- Meropenem eluates demonstrated bioactivity against MSSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and ESBL Klebsiella pneumoniae for 3 weeks.
- Elution patterns were consistent with typical antibiotic-loaded bone cement behavior.
Conclusions:
- Meropenem elution from acrylic bone cement follows expected kinetics.
- High-dose meropenem-loaded bone cement shows potential for treating resistant Gram-negative orthopaedic infections.
- In vivo studies are required to validate the clinical effectiveness of meropenem-loaded bone cement.