Animal models of orthopedic implant infection

Prosthetic infection following total joint replacement can have catastrophic results both physically and psychologically for patients, leading to complete failure of the arthroplasty, possible amputation, prolonged hospitalization, and even death. Although with the use of prophylactic antibiotics and greatly improved operating room techniques the infection rate has decreased markedly during the years, challenges still remain for better preventive and therapeutic measures. In this review the in vivo experimental methods for studies of prosthetic infection are discussed, concentrating on (1) the animal models that have been established and the use of these animal models for studies of pathogenesis of bacteria, behavior of biofilm, effect of biomaterials on prosthetic infection rate, and the effect of infection on biomaterial surfaces, and (2) how to design and conduct an animal model of orthopedic prosthetic infection including animal selection, implant fabrication, bacterial inoculation, surgical technique, and the methods for evaluating the results.