Drug-Releasing Antibacterial Coating Made from Nano-Hydroxyapatite Using the Sonocoating Method
Khaled AbouAitah, Monika Bil, Elżbieta Pietrzykowska, Urszula Szałaj, Damian Fudala, Bartosz Woźniak, Justyna Nasiłowska, Anna Świderska‐Środa, Maciej Łojkowski, Barbara Sokołowska, Wojciech Święszkowski, Witold Łojkowski
Abstract
Medical implant use is associated with a risk of infection caused by bacteria on their surface. Implants with a surface that has both bone growth-promoting properties and antibacterial properties are of interest in orthopedics. In the current study, we fabricated a bioactive coating of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles on polyether ether ketone (PEEK) using the sonocoating method. The sonocoating method creates a layer by immersing the object in a suspension of nanoparticles in water and applying a high-power ultrasound. We show that the simple layer fabrication method results in a well-adhering layer with a thickness of 219 nm to 764 nm. Dropping cefuroxime sodium salt (Cef) antibiotic on the coated substrate creates a layer with a drug release effect and antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. We achieved a concentration of up to 1 mg of drug per cm2 of the coated substrate. In drug release tests, an initial burst was observed within 24 h, accompanied by a linear stable release effect. The drug-loaded implants exhibited sufficient activity against S. aureus for 24 and 168 h. Thus, the simple method we present here produces a biocompatible coating that can be soaked with antibiotics for antibacterial properties and can be used for a range of medical implants.