Detoxification of endotoxin-contaminated titanium and hydroxyapatite-coated surfaces utilizing various chemotherapeutic and mechanical modalities.

The surgical repair of the ailing implant may be complicated by the surface effects of pathogenic bacteria and their products. This study evaluated the ability of various chemotherapeutic modalities to detoxify endotoxin-contaminated titanium alloy and hydroxyapatite-coated test strips. Grit-blasted titanium alloy and hydroxyapatite-coated test strips were contaminated with purified outer membranes of Escherichia coli labeled with radioactive 14C. The titanium alloy strips were treated with citric acid, stannous fluoride, tetracycline HCl, chlorhexidine gluconate, hydrogen peroxide, chloramine T, sterile water, a plastic sonic scaler tip, and an air-powder abrasive unit. Hydroxyapatite-coated strips were treated with chloramine T, citric acid, or burnished with sterile water on cotton pellets. Residual lipopolysaccharide levels were measured by liquid scintillation spectrometry. The air-powder abrasive unit removed significantly greater amounts of lipopolysaccharide than all other treatment modalities on titanium samples (P < 0.05). A 60-second burnish with sterile water was able to remove significant amounts of lipopolysaccharide when compared with untreated controls (P < 0.05). Citric acid was superior in the removal of lipopolysaccharide from hydroxyapatite-coated surfaces when compared with the controls or chloramine T (P < 0.01). Detoxification of an implant infected surface may be beneficial when surgical repair of the ailing implant is indicated.