In vitro study of the antimicrobial activity of hydrogel-based matrices impregnated with antibiotics against the leading microorganisms of bone infection

Abstract

Purpose To evaluate the results of a comparative analysis of the in vitro antimicrobial activity of polymer hydrogels and PMMA impregnated with antibiotics against test cultures of the leading pathogens of bone infection. Materials and methods A comparative analysis of the antimicrobial activity of the polymer hydrogel and PMMA impregnated with antibiotics was carried out. The bactericidal efficacy and prolongation of action of the following microbe-antibiotic pairs were assessed: MSSA – gentamicin, MSSE – cefazolin, MRSA and MRSE – vancomycin, A. baumannii – tobramycin. The duration of the study is 7 days. Statistical comparison of groups was carried out using the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests; the median and 95 % CI were used to describe the data. Results The obtained indicators of the zone of inhibition of the growth of microorganisms around the polymer hydrogel were several times higher than the results of PMMA (p 0.05), in contrast to bone cement, whose activity against all test cultures significantly decreased (p = 0.042) on the 2nd day of the study. Conclusion Polymeric biodegradable hydrogels impregnated with antibiotics have a greater antimicrobial potential compared to PMMA. Uniform, slow and controlled release of the drug and effective inhibition of the growth of microorganisms, as well as prolonged action show that these properties may turn hydrogels into an effective depot system.

Keywords

• antimicrobial activity
• polymeric biodegradable hydrogel
• bone cement
• orthopedic infection
• in vitro study
• polymethyl methacrylate (pmma)