Antibiotics in acrylic bone cement. In vivo studies

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Infectious disease
• Biomaterials science

Background:

• Surgical site infections are a significant complication in orthopedic procedures.
• Bone cement is widely used in orthopedic surgery, often loaded with antibiotics to prevent or treat infections.
• The elution rate and efficacy of antibiotics from bone cement require continuous investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the elution rates of antibiotics from surgical bone cement in vivo.
• To evaluate the efficacy of antibiotic-loaded bone cement in controlling bacterial infections.
• To assess the impact of an anti-inflammatory drug on the efficacy of antibiotic bone cement.

Main Methods:

• In vivo implantation of antibiotic-loaded bone cement cylinders in animal models.
• Introduction of large bacterial loads into surgical sites post-implantation.
• Measurement of antibiotic elution rates and bacterial counts in infected areas.
• Administration of hydrocortisone (anti-inflammatory drug) prior to infection and implantation.

Main Results:

• Antibiotics (Gentamicin and Keflin) eluted from bone cement effectively eliminated or markedly reduced bacterial recovery.
• Antibiotic-loaded bone cement demonstrated efficacy in controlling infections even in animals with impaired inflammatory responses due to hydrocortisone treatment.
• Significant reduction in bacterial load was observed compared to control groups.

Conclusions:

• Antibiotic-loaded surgical bone cement is effective in controlling bacterial infections in vivo.
• The combination of bone cement and antibiotics provides a reliable method for infection control in orthopedic surgery.
• Antibiotic-eluting bone cement maintains efficacy even in the presence of compromised host inflammatory responses.