Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-25-2025
Abstract
Post-surgical spinal infection occurs in up to 20 % of patients, despite aggressive peri-operative antibiotic treatments. To improve prophylaxis, we have designed and evaluated an ultrasound-activated prophylactic antibiotic release system to combat post-surgical bacterial survival. Polylactic acid (PLA) clips (1 cm3) were 3D-printed with an interior reservoir (0.8 cm3) for carrying drug payload, specifically vancomycin (VAN). Under IACUC approval, clips were surgically implanted into the spines of sheep (n = 9) and swine (n = 2) by removing the spinous process at several levels of the lumbar spine. In the sheep, clips were insonated and the interstitial wound fluid was collected to quantify the ultrasound-triggered VAN release. Uninsonated control sheep exhibited an average VAN concentration of 6.32 ± 5.99 µg/mL after 72 h, while ultrasound-triggered clips released significantly higher VAN concentrations at 72 h (22.98 ± 11.22 µg/mL, p = 0.033). In the swine, device efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated. Insonated sites saw significant reduction in colony forming units (CFU) to 4.3 ± 3.2 CFU in the activated clips, compared to uninsonated controls where bacterial colonization was higher (2898 ± 1214 CFU, p = 0.017). Overall, these results demonstrate the ability to non-invasively release VAN from an implanted reservoir in vivo, and that this VAN release is effective in mitigating invading microbes in the wound site.
Recommended Citation
Delaney, Lauren J.; Machado, Priscilla; Liu, Ji-Bin; Evans, Rachel; Winslow, Asia; Zhao, Neil; Kepler, Christopher K.; Narayanan, Rajkishen; Ezeonu, Teeto; Soni, Viren; Kaushal, Gagan; Hilliard, Rachel; Schaer, Thomas P.; Hickok, Noreen J.; and Forsberg, Flemming, "Ultrasound-Triggered Release of Vancomycin From a Novel Spinal Device: Antibiotic Release and Efficacy in Vivo" (2025). Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers. Paper 232.
https://jdc.jefferson.edu/orthofp/232
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
PubMed ID
39875035
Language
English
Included in
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons, Orthopedics Commons, Surgery Commons, Technology and Innovation Commons, Therapeutics Commons
Comments
This article is the author's final published version in International journal of pharmaceutics, Volume 671, February 2025, Article number 125276.
The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.125276.
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s)