Antiadhesive and Antibacterial Coatings for Short-Term Titanium Implants

This study presents a novel approach for the development of antifouling and antibacterial hydrogel coatings for short-term titanium implants to treat bone defects. Such implants provide temporary stabilization during bone healing and are intended to be explanted within a period of 12 months. The novel surface modification prevents complications during implant removal, like injury to tissue, nerves, or tendons due to adhesion to the untreated titanium surface. The coatings combine acrylamide-based hydrogels with photocrosslinkers possessing intrinsic antibacterial properties and anchor groups designed for titanium substrates. Comprehensive in vitro evaluations are conducted to assess the biocompatibility and efficacy of these coatings. The results demonstrate that the water-swellable polymer networks effectively prevent cell and tissue adhesion by their antifouling characteristics without inducing cytotoxicity. Importantly, these coatings also exhibit an intrinsic and non-leaching antibacterial effect covalently incorporated into the molecular framework, which addresses the limitations of current implant coating technologies that often rely on the incorporation of antibiotics or bactericidal agents. As the experimental data conclusively verify the effectiveness of the coatings in inhibiting cell adhesion and bacterial colonization, this technology shows great potential to significantly advance the field of short-term titanium implants.