Preparation, release profiles, and antibacterial properties of vancomycin-loaded poly(D,L-lactic) titanium alloy plates.

The rate of infection in closed fractures is low and ranges from 0.7% to 4.2%. Patients with open fractures are known to be at higher risk of infection (5%-30%). Internal fixation of fractures is widely used; however, implants allow bacteria to grow and propagate. Implant-associated infections are the chief risk facing orthopedic and traumatology departments. It would therefore be clinically advantageous to develop an internal fixation system that possesses anti-infection properties to prevent and cure implant infections. With poly(D,L)-lactic acid (PDLLA) as a carrier, PDLLA coatings carrying vancomycin were prepared on the surface of titanium alloy plate substrates for internal fixation of fractures using solvent-casting technology. The bacteriostatic activity to Staphylococcus aureus and the drug-release profile of the plates were evaluated in vitro. Vancomycin-loaded plates showed a sustained in vitro drug release character in the experiment. The in vitro inhibition of S aureus showed that the plates had an inhibitory effect on S aureus, and the antibacterial activity was maintained for at least 15 days. These findings may have important clinical significance for preventing acute infection after the fracture of internally implanted fixation plates.