Enhancing antibacterial capability and osseointegration of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants by dual-functional surface modification

• Main Authors: Chengzhe Gao, Zongliang Wang, Zixue Jiao, Zhenxu Wu, Min Guo, Yu Wang, Jianguo Liu, Peibiao Zhang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-07-01
• Series: Materials & Design
• Subjects: Polyetheretherketone; Sulfonation; Dual drugs; Antibacterial; Osseointegrative; Periprosthetic joint infection
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127521002859

The overall aim of the current study is to develop a dual-functional PEEK implant to simultaneously fight off bacterial contamination and promote osseointegration by sustained release of moxifloxacin hydrochloride (MOX) and osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) from mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA)-coated porous sulfonated PEEK (SPK) surface. Our study revealed that the MOX/OGP PDA-modified SPK (SPD-MOX/OGP) surface exhibited a durable and excellent antibacterial effect against planktonic/adherent Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in vitro. A remarkable enhancement in specific cell adhesion, proliferation and osteogenicity were observed on the SPD-MOX/OGP substrate due to the presence of OGP and PDA molecules compared to all other groups. More significantly, using the infected and non-infected rat tibia models confirmed the in vivo antimicrobial and osteogenesis abilities of SPD-MOX/OGP. Therefore, we are confident that such dual-functional PEEK surface with both antibacterial and osseointegrative capacities in this study would give a positive answer to periprosthetic joint infection-related issues.