Cancellous bone as an antibiotic carrier.

We compared the release characteristics of antibiotics from in vivo and in vitro processed morselized cancellous bone. The bone was impregnated with 7 antibiotics and compressed into a wire-mesh cylinder. In vitro, the bone was processed by daily transfer of the cylinder with its contents into test tubes with broth. The amount of antibiotic eluted from the bone was measured after 1, 3 and 7 days. In vivo, the cylinder was implanted intramuscularly in the interscapular region in rats. After 1, 3 and 7 days, the cylinder was removed and the amount of antibiotic eluted in broth was measured. The results showed that morselized cancellous bone can act as a carrier of antibiotics in vitro and in vivo. The elution profiles of netilmicin-, vancomycin-, clindamycin- and rifampicin-impregnated cancellous bone processed in vitro and in vivo were similar.