MAJ Brendan D. Masini, MD; MAJ Daniel J. Stinner, MD;
MAJ Scott M. Waterman, MD; Joseph C. Wenke, PhD;
and COL Tad L. Gerlinger, MD
Bacterial Adherence to Titanium, Poly-L-Lactic Acid, and Composite Hydroxyapatite and Poly-L-Lactic Acid Interference Screws
$25.00
This study investigates a potential site of bacterial adherence, the implant surface, comparing titanium, poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), and composite hydroxyapatite and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA-HA) interference screws using a bioluminescent in vitro model. Interference screws of three materials, titanium (Arthrex, Naples, FL), bioabsorbable poly-L-lactic acid (BIORCI, Smith & Nephew, Andover, MA), and bioabsorbable composite hydroxyapatite and poly-L-lactic acid (BIORCI-HA, Smith & Nephew, Andover, MA) were immersed in a broth of bioluminescent Staphylococcus aureus. The screws were irrigated and then imaged with a photon-capturing camera system yielding a total photon count correlating with residual adherent bacteria. The titanium screws had the lowest mean total bacterial counts followed by the PLLA-HA screws and with the PLLA screws having the highest mean total counts. The difference in means between the titanium group and the PLLA group was statistically significant (p < .001). Titanium interference screws have less bacterial adherence than comparable bioabsorbable PLLA screws. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 21(4):237–241, 2012)