Rapid release of gentamicin from collagen sponge. In vitro comparison with plastic beads.

The gentamicin-containing collagen sponge is a new product intended for local application in bone and soft-tissue infections. The release of gentamicin from the collagen sponges was compared in vitro to that from polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) beads. A static and kinetic experimental design was used. In the static model, pieces of collagen sponge or PMMA beads were added to 20 mL of distilled water, and during the following hours the gentamicin concentrations in the water were repeatedly measured. This simple model was extended to the kinetic model as the released gentamicin was removed from the water exponentially by means of an infusion-withdrawal pump. The gentamicin was released from the carrier substances with increasing half lives. During the first 4 hours, the half life increased from 0.2 to 1.5 hours for the collagen sponge and from 3 to 78 hours for the PMMA beads. After 1.5 hours, 95 percent of the gentamicin was released from the sponges, whereas only 8 percent was released from the beads.