Nanoparticles for the Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial Biofilms on Orthopedic Implants

Abstract

Orthopedic implants are a boon for devastating bone diseases such as osteoarthritis and bone fractures. However, implantation of an orthopedic device is associated with the risk of bacterial biofilm formation on the surface of the implant. Treating biofilm-associated infections is extremely challenging owing to the acidic environment, enzymatic degradation, presence of sessile bacterial cells, and hypoxic environment in the biofilm. Biofilms are highly resistant to both antibacterials and the human immune system. Present antibiotic therapies have limited success due to low blood flow, high density, and poor permeability of the bone causing insufficient bone permeation of the antibiotic. Nanoparticles have a high surface-to-volume ratio and superior penetration across cell membranes, and their nanostructure provides flexibility in designing effective strategies to tackle biofilm-associated infection. This chapter summarizes the various research endeavours in which nanoparticles have been explored for the prevention and or/treatment of bacterial biofilms on orthopedic implants.