Fighting infection with 3D-printing and silver

Abstract

Infections on the surface of prosthetic implants such as hip replacements account for a quarter of all implant removals, and are frequently life-threatening. To combat this, we need new approaches to make implants more resistant to infection, working together with the normal oral or injected antibiotics used after surgery. My research is finding ways to do just this using silver, an antimicrobial that has been in use for thousands of years. By using modern metal 3D printing techniques, it's possible to introduce silver to implants in entirely new ways. Whether through weaving silver into the ordinary alloy of an implant, or introducing a second material like a silver loaded cement, the next generation of implants could be protected from bacteria whilst having the customisability available through 3D printing.