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Gelled Calcium Polyphosphate Matrices Delay Antibiotic Release

¹ Department of Applied Oral Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University, 5981 University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3J5, Canada;
² The Atlantic Region Magnetic Resonance Centre, Dalhousie University; and
³ School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University

^* corresponding author, Filiaggi{at}dal.ca

Introducing a gelling step during antibiotic incorporation has previously been found to delay vancomycin delivery from a calcium polyphosphate matrix intended for local treatment of bone infections. This study examined the general applicability of this approach using cefuroxime, a lower-molecular-weight antibiotic with different charge characteristics compared with those of vancomycin. A calcium polyphosphate/cefuroxime paste was "gelled" in disk form in a humid environment for 5 or 24 hours prior to drying. Antibiotic release in Tris-buffered saline under gentle agitation was monitored over a seven-day period. While non-gelled samples clearly exhibited a burst release, the gelling process significantly retarded early antibiotic release from five- and 24-hour gelled matrices, yielding a constant release rate over the first four days. Cefuroxime incorporation did not appear to alter matrix structure or degradation. Overall, this non-aggressive process effectively trapped cefuroxime and reduced its release rate, suggesting its potential applicability with molecularly diverse therapeutic agents.

KEY WORDS: calcium phosphate • antibiotics • local drug delivery • bone repair