Biocompatibility of a Polymeric Implant for the Treatment of Osteomyelitis
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Meir Medical Center, 48 Tchernichovsky Str.,Kfar-Saba 44281, Israel
Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, School of Pharmacy,The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
Department of Parasitology, The Kuvin Centre for the Study of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
Abstract
We evaluated the biocompatibility of an injectable gelling polymeric device for the controlled release
of gentamicin sulfate in the treatment of invasive bacterial infections in bone of male Wister rats. The
biodegradable delivery carrier, poly(sebacic-co-ricinoleic-ester-anhydride), designated as p(SA:RA), was
injected, with and without gentamicin, into the tibial canal. Rats were killed 3 weeks later. The tibiae were
processed histologically, leaving the injectable polymer in situ. The local tissue reaction to the polymer with
or without antibiotic consisted mainly of mild reactive fibroplasia/fibrosis and mild to moderate increased
reactive bone formation. At this stage, no evidence for any active inflammatory response to the polymer
was seen. Thus, the injection of p(SA:RA) was well tolerated and did not induce any signs of a progressive
inflammatory reaction.
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009
Keywords
Biocompatible degradable polymer, tibial implant, toxicity evaluation, controlled delivery, gentamicin