Highly Adhesive Antimicrobial Coatings for External Fixation Devices

Pin site infections arise from the use of percutaneous pinning techniques (as seen in skeletal traction, percutaneous fracture pinning, and external fixation for fracture stabilization or complex deformity reconstruction). These sites are niduses for infection because the skin barrier is disrupted, allowing for bacteria to enter a previously privileged area. After external fixation, the rate of pin site infections can reach up to 100%. Following pin site infection, the pin may loosen, causing increased pain (increasing narcotic usage) and decreasing the fixation of the fracture or deformity correction construct. More serious complications include osteomyelitis and deep tissue infections. Due to the morbidity and costs associated with its sequelae, strategies to reduce pin site infections are vital. Current strategies for preventing implant-associated infections include coatings with antibiotics, antimicrobial polymers and peptides, silver, and other antiseptics like chlorhexidine and silver-sulfadiazine. Problems facing the development of antimicrobial coatings on orthopedic implants and, specifically, on pins known as Kirschner wires (or K-wires) include poor adhesion of the drug-eluting layer, which is easily removed by shear forces during the implantation. Development of highly adhesive drug-eluting coatings could therefore lead to improved antimicrobial efficacy of these devices and ultimately reduce the burden of pin site infections. In response to this need, we developed two types of gel coatings: synthetic poly-glycidyl methacrylate-based and natural-chitosan-based. Upon drying, these gel coatings showed strong adhesion to pins and remained undamaged after the application of strong shear forces. We also demonstrated that antibiotics can be incorporated into these gels, and a K-wire with such a coating retained antimicrobial efficacy after drilling into and removal from a bone. Such a coating could be invaluable for K-wires and other orthopedic implants that experience strong shear forces during their implantation.