Magnesium substitution in brushite cements: Efficacy of a new biomaterial loaded with vancomycin for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Staphylococcus aureus is the most relevant pathogen associated with bone infection that sometimes appears after implant surgery, thus compromising a successful treatment. The aim of this work was to assess the effectiveness of brushite cements, doped with magnesium, as a new vancomycin carrier system against S.aureus infections. We performed an "in vitro" study to evaluate vancomycin release from the cements by measuring its antimicrobial activity against a strain of S.aureus. We have used two methods to load the cements with vancomycin: i) adsorption from a solution and ii) incorporation of the antibiotic into the solid phase during the cement synthesis. Furthermore, the compression strength of the loaded samples was measured to detect changes in the mechanical properties of the system. The "in vitro" study showed that the sustained release of vancomycin depends on the concentration of magnesium in the cement matrix. In addition, the standardized antibacterial assay revealed that the release of vancomycin from the cements may be helpful to prevent infections in bone regeneration procedures.