A dual PMMA/calcium sulfate carrier of vancomycin is more effective than PMMA‐vancomycin at inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus growth in vitro

Both antibiotic‐impregnated poly(methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and antibiotic‐impregnated calcium sulfate have been successfully used as local antibiotic delivery vehicles for the management of chronic osteomyelitis. Here, we examined the antibiotic elution characteristics and antibacterial properties of a composite drug delivery system consisting of PMMA/calcium sulfate carrying vancomycin (dual carrier‐v) against Staphylococcus aureus, with PMMA loaded with vancomycin (PMMA‐v) as a control. Vancomycin gradually degraded from dual carrier‐v and PMMA‐v up to about 8 and 6 weeks, respectively. At different elution time points, the inhibition zones of the dual carrier‐v were larger than the inhibition zones of the PMMA‐v (P