3 - In vivo infection studies

Abstract

Treatment of implant-associated infections is an important healthcare challenge due to increasing use of medical implants. This chapter will discuss several in vivo infection studies that have been used to explore the pathogenesis, treatment, and prophylaxis of implant-associated infections. The chapter also includes an overview of the common models of implant-associated infection, as well as a discussion of choosing the most suitable model, animal species, and microbial pathogen. Further, the benefits/limitations and correlation of in vivo infection study results with human infections will be assessed.