Chapter 17 - Nanomaterials-based antimicrobial coatings for medical devices

Abstract

Bacterial infections cause millions of serious illnesses worldwide every year. The rapid rise in drug resistance will exacerbate this threat to human health and develop new antiresistant microorganisms. While planktonic bacteria pose a therapeutic challenge, bacterial biofilms pose significant barriers to diagnosis and treatment. Nanoparticles have recently emerged as a strategy to combat drug-resistant planktonic bacteria biofilms and as an alternative to antibiotics. Nanotechnology can be particularly beneficial in treating bacterial infections, such as nanoparticles in antibacterial coatings. Placing these coatings on implantable devices prevents infections and promotes wound healing. It has been proven effective in antibiotic delivery systems to treat diseases, in detection systems for bacteria to produce microbial and antibacterial diagnoses, and in developing vaccines against bacterial infections. In orthopedics, the most accepted mechanisms include induction of oxidative stress, the release of metal ions, and nonoxidative mechanisms. To counteract this bio-contamination, the development of synthetic surfaces has emerged as a global strategy that reduces the adhesion of pathogens and has an antibacterial effect. Recent advances in nanotechnology have made it possible to develop surfaces that prevent infection. This chapter describes functionalized nanoparticles (FNPs) based on antimicrobial coatings for medical devices and their orthopedic application for coatings.