Mussel-inspired deposition of copper on titanium for bacterial inhibition and enhanced osseointegration in a periprosthetic infection model

Abstract

Periprosthetic infection represents one of the most devastating complications in orthopedic surgeries. Implants that have both anti-bacterial and bone-forming capability and may function to simultaneously clear infection and repair bone defect, therefore, are highly desirable. In this study, titanium (Ti) substrates were fabricated deposited with different amounts of copper (Cu) using polydopamine (PDA)-based chemical modification technology. In vitro, Ti implants that were treated with PDA and deposited with Cu (Ti-PDA-Cu) showed excellent antibacterial performance against both S. aureus and E. coli compared with pristine Ti. They also markedly promoted adhesion and spreading of MC3T3-E1 cells, implying good biocompatibility of such Ti-PDA-Cu materials. In vivo, results from an animal model of implant-related osteomyelitis clearly demonstrated that Ti-PDA-Cu implants not only effectively inhibited bacterial infection, but also promoted osseointegration at the bone/implant interface. Taken together, these findings show that Ti-PDA-Cu possesses outstanding biocompatibility and antibacterial activity, and are candidate materials for preventing periprosthetic infection.