One of the biggest challenges in the use of most types of implantable medical devices is the risk of infection and inflammation that can result in serious complications for the patient at some time in the future.
There has been an increased demand from doctors, particularly in the orthopedic area of practice, to increase the options in antimicrobial coating services to provide a protective coating for an implanted device regardless of the base substrate. As many of these implants are used directly into the bone, infection is a serious and life-threatening condition.
The Challenges
The human body is an amazing system, but it is not always able to address all types of foreign bacteria. In the case of an implant, bacteria can be introduced to the surface of the implant.
These bacteria can reproduce faster than the body can respond, resulting in an infection and pockets where the tissue around the implant doesn’t adhere to the surface. This not only prevents the implant from being fixed in place, but it creates pockets of infection that can be extremely difficult to treat.
As the antimicrobial coatings are designed to release antibiotics, they cannot go through high heat types of applications. This limits the application options, which is always a consideration. In some types of implants, using a coating that promotes tissue adhesion may be more effective and offers several application options to enhance the process.
The Advantages
With the correct choice of antimicrobial coating services, the properties on the surface of the implant, and the coating, can kill the bacterial population at the site. This eliminates the high dosages of antibiotics that would be required without the coating, plus it dramatically lowers the risk of additional surgical procedures.
The use of specific types of coatings, particularly those that include silver, offer an option for antimicrobial coating services that does not require the use of antibiotics. There are other combinations to consider, all which provide various advantages while still remaining safe for the patient.
