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Updated: Sep 30, 2026
In Vivo Mouse Model of Spinal Implant Infection
Published on: June 23, 2020
A new model of experimental prosthetic joint infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a
N Belmatoug1, A C Crémieux, R Bleton
1Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 13, Hôpital Bichat Claude-Bernard, Paris, France.
Abstract:
Partial knee arthroplasty was done in rabbits with a silicone-elastomer implant. Immediately after closing the surgical wound, 5 x 10(6) cfu of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was injected into the joint. Disease evolution was studied at different stages of infection up to 8 weeks. Prosthetic infection developed in all animals. Gross pathology and histopathologic changes were characteristic of joint and bone infection. Quantitative bacterial counts from infected bone confirmed disease chronicity. The mean number of colony-forming units per gram of bone +/- SD 1 week after infection was 4.84 +/- 0.24 log10 cfu/g and remained stable from week 1 to week 8. Magnetic resonance imaging showed evidence of prosthetic infection as of week 1, while only mild radiologic changes of bone were seen 2 weeks after infection. This model produces a prosthetic infection that is reproducible and close to that of human prosthetic infection.
Insights
A new rabbit model successfully replicates human prosthetic joint infections using methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This reproducible model aids in studying chronic prosthetic infections and evaluating potential treatments.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Infectious Diseases
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are a significant complication following arthroplasty.
- Developing reliable animal models is crucial for understanding PJI pathogenesis and testing therapies.
- Current models may not fully capture the chronicity and complexity of human PJIs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and characterize a reproducible rabbit model of prosthetic joint infection.
- To investigate the early evolution and chronicity of infection using methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
- To evaluate the utility of imaging techniques in detecting early-stage prosthetic infections.
Main Methods:
- Partial knee arthroplasty was performed in rabbits using silicone-elastomer implants.
- Infection was induced by intra-articular injection of 5 x 10^6 colony-forming units (cfu) of MRSA post-surgery.
- Disease progression was monitored for up to 8 weeks using gross pathology, histopathology, quantitative bacterial cultures, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Main Results:
- All rabbits developed prosthetic joint infections characterized by gross and histopathologic signs of bone and joint inflammation.
- Quantitative bone cultures confirmed chronic infection, with bacterial counts remaining stable (mean 4.84 ± 0.24 log10 cfu/g) from week 1 to week 8.
- MRI detected signs of prosthetic infection as early as week 1, while radiologic bone changes were evident by week 2.
Conclusions:
- This rabbit model effectively replicates key features of human prosthetic joint infections, including chronicity.
- The model demonstrates reproducible outcomes and is suitable for studying MRSA prosthetic infections.
- Early detection of infection is possible with MRI, highlighting its potential in clinical management.
