Electrophoretic deposition: a versatile tool against biomaterial associated infections

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Biomaterial-associated infections (BAIs) pose significant challenges in orthopedic implant surgery, particularly during revision procedures.
• Bacterial biofilms on implants hinder immune responses and antibiotic efficacy, leading to high recurrence rates and costs.
• Current strategies focus on modifying implant surfaces for drug delivery or antibacterial coatings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review novel electrochemically-triggered deposition strategies for antibacterial implant coatings.
• To highlight the application of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) for creating micro/nanostructured antibacterial surfaces.
• To assess antibacterial and multifunctional compounds deposited via EPD and discuss future prospects.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on electrochemically-triggered deposition, focusing on Electrophoretic Deposition (EPD).
• Analysis of EPD's versatility for depositing organic and inorganic materials onto biomaterials.
• Evaluation of micro/nanostructured surfaces created by EPD for antibacterial applications.

Main Results:

• EPD is a cost-effective and versatile technique for creating functionalized biomaterial surfaces.
• EPD enables the development of micro/nanostructured surfaces with multi-purpose antibacterial approaches.
• A comprehensive assessment of various antibacterial and multifunctional compounds deposited by EPD is provided.

Conclusions:

• EPD offers a promising platform for developing advanced antibacterial and multifunctional implant coatings.
• A more systematic in vitro experimental design is needed for successful clinical translation.
• Further in vivo and clinical studies are crucial to validate the efficacy of EPD-based coatings.