Local administration in osteomyelitis by drug encapsulated polymer beads

Abstract

Amongst the important methods for the prevention and treatment of bone infection: prolonged systemic antibiotic therapy for 4-6 weeks and local implantation of non-biodegradable antibiotic carriers of Gentamicin Polymethyl methacryllate (PMMA) are important. Each of the methods has their own disadvantages. By systemic therapy, only a small fraction of the dose reaches the surgical site, producing low therapeutic tissue levels and often various adverse side-effects, including the development of bacterial resistance to drugs. Local administration of PMMA beads has been employed clinically to prevent or treat Osteomyelitis. PMMA however is a non-biodegradable material and secondary surgery is required to remove the beads after the Gentamicin is released, generally after three weeks. The current study is aimed at developing a biodegradable composition of Gentamicin, which gives a sustained release of up to 6 weeks. Copolymers of the biodegradable polymer poly lactide-co-glycolide are mainly used in the study. In vitro release and in vivo study are performed and the results pertaining to them are presented.