Joint Replacement Infections Vulnerable to Antibacterial Implant Coatings

Infections during total joint reconstruction procedures can lead to unnecessary revisions and be costly. But new alloy implants with antibacterial, nonstick surfaces and techniques used to kill biofilm during surgery can reduce infection rates, according to a presenter at the 16th EFORT Congress.

“There are various ways we can address biofilms from the point of view of surfaces used in orthopedics. We can develop nonstick surfaces, we can develop antimicrobial surfaces, we can prevent the bacteria from forming biofilms by killing them at the time of surgery,” Gordon Blunn, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Stanmore Implants Worldwide Ltd., said during his presentation, at the three-day event (held May 27-29 in Prague, Czech Republic).

According to the National Joint Registry for England, Wales and Northern Ireland’s 11th annual report, 13 percent of the 620,400 total joint replacement (TJR) procedures recorded led to a revision due to infection. Revisions extend hospital stays for patients and, in the case of total hip arthroplasty procedures, can increase costs 3.6 times more than a standard procedure, according to Blunn.

To combat infections during TJR, nonstick surfaces such as diamond-like carbon-coated titanium alloy can be used, Blunn said. Additionally, Agluna-treated (Accentus Medical) silver-coated surfaces are antibacterial.