Antibacterial efficacy of titanium-containing alloy with silver-nanoparticles enriched diamond-like carbon coatings

摘要

Silver ions (Ag+) have strong bactericidal effects and Ag-coated medical devices proved their effectiveness in reducing infections in revision total joint arthroplasty. We quantitatively determined the antimicrobial potency of different surface treatments on a titanium alloy (Ti), which had been conversed to diamond-like carbon (DLC-Ti) and doped with high (Ag:PVP?=?1:2) and low (Ag:PVP?=?1:10 and 1:20) concentrations of Ag (Ag-DLC-Ti) with a modified technique of ion implantation. Bacterial adhesion and planktonic growth of clinically relevant bacterial strains (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) on Ag-DLC-Ti were compared to untreated Ti by quantification of colony forming units on the adherent surface and in the growth medium as well as semiquantitatively by determining the grade of biofilm formation by scanning electron microscopy. (1) A significant (p?