Download files
Abstract
Despite advances in technology and surgical procedures, periprosthetic infection of orthopaedic implants remains a common and costly cause of implant failure and revision. Novel materials and coatings have been developed in an effort to improve implant resistance to the onset of infection, including those utilising the antimicrobial properties of silver ions. The aims of this study were to evaluate the osseointegration of a novel silver-doped hydroxyapatite coating and a second acid-etching process, applied to a titanium implant substrate implanted using a well-established ovine model. The subsequent results from the silver-doped coating could be compared to conventional hydroxyapatite coatings, to evaluate the effect of silver ions upon potential bone ongrowth. In this study, the silver HA coated implants demonstrated significantly higher shear stresses of mechanical pushout when compared to the acid etched implants after 4 weeks and 12 weeks in situ. Similarly, the bone-implant contact percentage was significantly higher for the silver HA coated implants indicating greater osseointegration at both timepoints. When compared to conventional HA coated implants in an identical ovine model, there was no significant difference observed in mechanical pushout or bone-implant contact of the silver HA coated implants. These results indicate that the novel silver-doped HA coating does not adversely affect the osseointegration of titanium implants. Therefore, this represents a viable solution for an antimicrobial implant coating which continues to facilitate effective osseointegration following implantation.