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Electric‐current‐induced detachment of Staphylococcus epidermidis strains from surgical stainless steel
Author(s) -
van der Borden A. J.,
van der Mei H. C.,
Busscher H. J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part b: applied biomaterials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.665
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1552-4981
pISSN - 1552-4973
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.b.20015
Subject(s) - staphylococcus epidermidis , direct current , anode , ionic strength , biomaterial , implant , staphylococcus aureus , chemistry , surgery , biomedical engineering , microbiology and biotechnology , materials science , medicine , bacteria , voltage , electrode , biology , physics , quantum mechanics , aqueous solution , genetics
Infection of percutaneous biomaterials implants, such as fixation frames used for the repair of complicated fractures in orthopedics, is a major complication that almost inevitably leads to replacement of the implant. As antibiotic therapy usually has little impact on biomaterial‐associated infections, it is the aim of this article to examine whether implant‐associated Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus strains could be stimulated to detach from a surgical stainless steel anode during application of an electric current. First, bacteria were allowed to adhere from a flowing suspension of physiological ionic strength in a parallel plate flow chamber to a stainless‐steel surface, after which the suspension was replaced by a bacterium‐free solution with a specified ionic strength (0.5–150‐mM potassium phosphate). DC currents ranging from 15 to 125 μA were applied to induce bacterial detachment. Initial detachment decreased with increasing ionic strength at 100 μA. The percentage detachment achieved by application of an electric current after 2.5 h was highest (95%) in 1‐mM potassium phosphate and decreased to 15% when the ionic strength exceeded 40 mM. The electric current did not significantly affect the percentage detachment, but initial detachment rates increased with increasing current from 1000 cm −2 s −1 at 15 μA to 7000 cm −2 s −1 at 125 μA. Although different isolates of S. epidermidis and S. aureus showed different patterns of current‐induced detachment, all strains could be stimulated to detach. The results of this study define ionic‐strength conditions and electric currents yielding staphylococcal detachment from surgical stainless steel and therewith point to a pathway for the treatment and prevention of percutaneous metal‐implant infection. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 68B: 160–164, 2004