A new rabbit model of implant-related biofilm infection： development and evaluation

• Published in: Frontiers of materials science Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 80 - 89
• Main Authors: CHU, Cheng-Bing, ZENG, Hong, SHEN, Ding-Xia, WANG, Hui, WANG, Ji-Fang, CUI, Fu-Zhai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Higher Education Press 01.03.2016
• Subjects: biofilm; Chemistry and Materials Science; implant; infection; Materials Science; rabbit; Research Article; 体相; 开发; 感染; 模型; 生物膜; 表皮葡萄球菌; 评价; 超高分子量聚乙烯; infection; model; implant; biofilm; rabbit
• ISSN: 2095-025X; 2095-0268
• DOI: 10.1007/s11706-016-0324-1

This study is to establish a rabbit model for human prosthetic joint infection and biofiim formation. Thirty-two healthy adult rabbits were randomly divided into four groups and implanted with stainless steel screws and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene （UHMWPE） washers in the non-articular surface of the femoral lateral condyle of the right hind knees. The rabbit knee joints were inoculated with 1 mL saline containing 0, 102, 103, 104 CFU of Staphylococcus epidermidis （S. epidermidis） isolated from the patient with total knee arthroplasty （TKA） infection, respectively. On the 14th postoperative day, the UHMWPE washers from the optimal 103 CFU group were further examined. The SEM examination showed a typical biofilm construction that circular S. epidermidis were embedded in a mucous-like matrix. In addition, the LCSM examination showed that the biofilm consisted of the polysaccharide stained bright green fluorescence and S. epidermidis radiating red fluorescence. Thus, we successfully create a rabbit model for prosthetic joint infection and biofilm formation, which should be valuable for biofilm studies.