Increased Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation on biodegradable PHB-implants compared to conventional orthopedic implants: an in vitro analysis

OBJECTIVE:To compare the biofilm formation on a biodegradable material, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), to that on conventional titanium (Ti) and steel (St) implant material. METHODS:Pins made of the different materials were incubated in Müller-Hinton broth inoculated with 2 x 10 CFU mL-1 of S. aureus for 2 and 7 days and then sonicated for the disruption of the biofilms. Colony forming units (CFU) were counted to quantify the number of bacteria in the biofilm and the cell proliferation assay XTT was used to evaluate their metabolic activity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) visualized the structure of the biofilm. RESULTS:We found a significantly higher metabolic activity and CFU count in the biofilm of PHB pins compared to St and Ti (ANOVA p