The Role of the Surface on Bacteria-Implant Interactions

TKA prostheses postoperative infection (PJI) is the most terrible complication of this surgery with disastrous consequences. As the population ages and the demand for TKA continues to rise, the incidence of PJI is also increasing. The main reason for treatment failure is the formation of bacterial biofilm on the surface of the implant and the adhesion of bacterial biofilm in the surrounding tissues and bones. Biofilm is a barrier that protects bacterial cells and has many unique properties leading to antibiotic resistance. The first step in clinical PJI treatment is to find the pathogenic microorganisms. However, in clinical microbial culture, the result of culture test is negative because the bacteria are wrapped in biofilm, which makes microbial diagnosis difficult. Moreover, because biofilms can protect pathogenic bacteria from antibiotics and host defense, PJI after TKA is difficult to treat.