CLINICAL ORTHOPAEDICS AND RELATED RESEARCH, cilt.469, sa.11, ss.3222-3228, 2011 (SCI-Expanded)
Osteomyelitis caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) often requires surgery and prolonged systemic antibiotic treatment. Local antibiotic delivery systems of bioceramics or polymers have been developed to treat osteomyelitis. A disadvantage of biodegradable polymers is the initial burst of antibiotics into the environment; one advantage of bioceramics is its osteoconductivity. We therefore developed a vancomycin-containing poly-l-lactic acid/beta-tricalcium phosphate (PLLA/beta-TCP) composite to control antibiotic release and stimulate bone formation.