Antibiotic-Loaded Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylenes.

The occurrence of periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) after total joint replacement constitutes a great burden for the patients and the healthcare system. Antibiotic-loaded polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement is often used in temporary spacers during antibiotic treatment. PMMA is not a load-bearing solution and needs to be replaced by a functional implant. Elution from the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) bearing surface for drug delivery can combine functionality with the release of clinically relevant doses of antibiotics. In this study, the feasibility of incorporating a range of antibiotics into UHMWPE is investigated. Drug stability is assessed by thermo-gravimetric analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Drug-loaded UHMWPEs are prepared by compression molding, using eight antibiotics at different loading. The predicted intra-articular concentrations of drugs eluted from UHMWPE are above minimum inhibitory concentration for at least three weeks against Staphylococci, which are the major causative bacteria for PJI. The antibacterial efficacy is confirmed for samples covering 2% of a representative knee implant in vitro over 72 hours, showing that a small fraction of the implant surface loaded with antibiotics might be sufficient against Staphylococci. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.