Liquid dextran does not increase the elution rate of different antibiotics from bone cement

To investigate the possibility of increasing elution of fosfomycin, gentamicin, clindamycin, and vancomycin by the addition of dextran fluid during the cement-mixing phase.

In 12 test series, we produced standardized, antibiotic-loaded test specimens of cement, with and without addition of dextran, and determined their effectiveness against three reference pathogens in agar diffusion and elution tests.

In the test series using combined agents, Refobacin(®)-Palacos(®)R plus fosfomycin continuously produced the largest zone of inhibition, both against methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (p = 0.009) and against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (p = 0.009). The addition of dextran to the various test series had no useful effect on the size of the zone of inhibition for any of the antibiotics tested.

Dextran supplementation in Refobacin(®)-Palacos(®)R bone cement did not have the hope for positive effect on the elution rate of bound antibiotics.