Biofilm-related periprosthetic joint infections

Abstract

The majority of animal studies that have been used to model biofilm-related infections that accompany the use of biomedical devices have primarily involved an initial inoculum of planktonic bacterial cells from batch cultures. Although valuable, data that has been derived from these experiments may not provide important clinical insight into how bacteria in well-established, mature biofilms impact device-related and other clinical infections when they initially contaminate a patient site or implanted device. In this chapter, a discussion is presented on the impact that a shift in biofilm research may have if initial inocula of well-established, mature biofilms are used to model device-related infections in animal models.