Implant-associated infections in orthopaedic surgeries are very critical as they may hinder bone healing, cause implant failure and even progress to osteomyelitis. Drug-eluting implants for local delivery of antibiotics at surgical sites are thought to be promising in preventing infections. Herein, the antibiotic vancomycin was encapsulated in a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogel film that was covalently bound to Ti implants and subsequently covered by a PEG-poly(lactic-co-caprolactone) (PEG-PLC) membrane. Additionally, crosslinked starch (CSt) was mixed with the hydrogel because its porous microstructure is able to inhibit hydrogel swelling and thus slow down drug release. The release behavior could be regulated by the drug loading and the coating thickness. The vancomycin-loaded Ti implants showed no initial burst release, offering a sustained drug release for nearly 3 weeks in vitro and more than 4 weeks in vivo. In a rabbit model of S. aureus infection, the implants with a 4 mg vancomycin loading significantly reduced the inflammatory reaction and exhibited a good antimicrobial capability. The immobilization of the antibiotic-loaded polymeric coatings on orthopaedic implants can offer a sustainable drug release with no initial burst release and maintain an effective concentration for a longer time, so it is expected to be an effective strategy to treat and prevent local bone infections.

中文翻译：

---

将负载抗生素的聚合物涂层固定在骨关节Ti植入物上以预防骨感染

整形外科手术中与植入物相关的感染非常关键，因为它们可能会阻碍骨愈合，导致植入物失效甚至进展为骨髓炎。人们认为在外科手术部位局部递送抗生素的药物洗脱植入物在预防感染方面很有希望。这里，抗生素万古霉素包封在聚（乙二醇）（PEG）基这是共价结合的钛植入物，并且随后覆盖的PEG-聚水凝胶膜（乳酸-共-己内酯）（PEG-PLC）膜。另外，将交联淀粉（CSt）与水凝胶混合，因为它的多孔微结构能够抑制水凝胶溶胀，从而减缓药物释放。释放行为可以通过载药量和包衣厚度来调节。载有万古霉素的Ti植入物未显示出最初的爆发释放，在体外将近3周和体内超过4周提供了持续的药物释放。在金黄色葡萄球菌的兔子模型中感染后，负载4 mg万古霉素的植入物可显着降低炎症反应，并具有良好的抗菌能力。将负载抗生素的聚合物涂层固定在整形外科植入物上可以提供可持续的药物释放，而没有最初的爆发释放，并且可以在更长的时间内保持有效的浓度，因此有望成为治疗和预防局部骨感染的有效策略。