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Antibiotic Loaded Nano Rod Bone Cement for the Treatment of Osteomyelitis
Mala Rajendran1, Gazana Iraivan1, Ghayathri B L1
1Department of Biotechnology, Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi-626005, Tamil Nadu, India.
Background:
Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement is the clinical gold standard biomaterial for local antibiotic therapy in osteomyelitis. However, it releases 50% of the antibiotic within the first three days. It generates excessive heat during polymerization and is non-biodegradable. It must be removed by another operation. The best-known alternative for PMMA is hydroxyapatite.
Objectives:
The present patented work is focused on synthesizing the biodegradable hydroxyapatite in nano form for slow and sustained release of antibiotics and studying the release kinetics of antibiotics.
Methods:
Nano-hydroxyapatite was synthesized by co-precipitation method and characterized by particle size analyser, transmission electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-Ray analysis. Antibiotic loaded nano-hydroxyapatite was prepared as 7 mm beads. The efficiency of drug-loaded nano-hydroxyapatite beads against osteomyelitic isolates was evaluated by well diffusion assay. Zero-order, first order, second order, Higuchi model, Korsmeyer-Peppas and Gompertz models were fit into the release kinetics of antibiotics from hydroxyapatite.
Results:
Average size of nano-hydroxyapatite was 5 nm. The bactericidal activity exhibited by antibiotic- loaded micro-sized hydroxyapatite was therapeutic until 10 days only, whereas antibiotic-loaded nano-hydroxyapatite was therapeutic until 8 weeks. This confirms the burst release of antibiotics from micro-sized hydroxyapatite beads. In contrast, the release was slow and sustained up to 8 weeks from nano-hydroxyapatite. Korsmeyer-Peppas model fits into the release kinetics of antibiotics from nanohydroxyapatite.
Conclusion:
Nano-hydroxyapatite with a Ca/P ratio of 1.78 is suitable for the slow and sustained delivery of antibiotics for 8 weeks.
Insights
Biodegradable nano-hydroxyapatite offers a sustained 8-week antibiotic release for osteomyelitis treatment, outperforming traditional polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement. This advanced material provides a promising alternative for local antibiotic therapy.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement is standard for osteomyelitis but has limitations: rapid antibiotic release (50% in 3 days), heat generation, and non-biodegradability requiring removal surgery.
- Hydroxyapatite is a known alternative to PMMA for bone regeneration and drug delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- Synthesize biodegradable nano-hydroxyapatite for slow and sustained antibiotic release.
- Investigate the release kinetics of antibiotics from nano-hydroxyapatite.
Main Methods:
- Nano-hydroxyapatite synthesized via co-precipitation and characterized using particle size analysis, TEM, FTIR, and EDX.
- Antibiotic-loaded nano-hydroxyapatite beads (7 mm) prepared and tested for antibacterial efficacy using well diffusion assay.
- Antibiotic release kinetics fitted to zero-order, first-order, second-order, Higuchi, Korsmeyer-Peppas, and Gompertz models.
Main Results:
- Synthesized nano-hydroxyapatite averaged 5 nm in size.
- Antibiotic-loaded nano-hydroxyapatite demonstrated therapeutic efficacy for 8 weeks, compared to 10 days for micro-sized hydroxyapatite, indicating sustained release.
- The Korsmeyer-Peppas model best described the antibiotic release kinetics from nano-hydroxyapatite.
Conclusions:
- Nano-hydroxyapatite with a Ca/P ratio of 1.78 is effective for sustained antibiotic delivery over 8 weeks.
- This nano-hydroxyapatite formulation presents a superior alternative to PMMA for treating osteomyelitis with prolonged local antibiotic therapy.
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