Medizinische Universität Graz Austria/Österreich - Forschungsportal - Medical University of Graz
Gewählte Publikation:
Wolrab, L.
Anti-biofilm effect of different titanium alloys for implant materials in orthopedy with focus on Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis.
[ Diplomarbeit/Master Thesis (FH) ] FH Joanneum; 2020. pp.55.
- Autor*innen der Med Uni Graz:
- Betreuer*innen:
- Lohberger Birgit
- Paulitsch-Fuchs Astrid Helga
- Altmetrics:
- Abstract:
- The adhesion of bacteria to artificial joints can cause peri-prosthetic infections (PIs) which are among the most serious complications following joint replacement surgeries. New strategies for inhibiting biofilm development on prostheses involve modifications to the surface and material components. During this project various types of titanium-aluminium-vanadium (TiAl6V4) alloys, such as silver, titanium nitride, commercially pure titanium, hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate as well as rough blasted titanium coatings, were tested to assess their anti-biofilm effects. This was tested using the amount of proteins and polysaccharides in the formed biofilms as parameters for biofilm development as well as the number of live and dead bacterial cells as a measure for the viability of the cells. To induce biofilm formation, sterile coin-formed alloy plates were incubated with either S. aureus or S. epidermidis in 24 well plates with starting cell density of McFarland 0,5 in lysogeny broth for 48h (37°C and 90 rpm). Biofilms were collected and diluted by scratching it off the surface of the plates and transferred into test-tubes to homogenise it in phosphate buffer by vortexing. The protein concentration was determined with the BCA protein assay (Pierce TM, Thermo Scientific) and the polysaccharide concentration with the phenol-sulfuric acid method. Flow cytometry (total cell count) was used as a parameter to assess the effect of the alloys on the microbial growth. Results have shown that rougher materials induce a higher production of proteins and polysaccharides but not a proliferation of cells. Conversely smooth alloys manifested lower protein and polysaccharide concentration and a similar cell count to that measured for rougher surfaces. These findings support the hypothesis that specific titanium alloys are particularly promising materials to avoid S. aureus and S. epidermidis infections in patients with implants.