Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society
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Low back pain is a significant socioeconomic burden and intervertebral disc degeneration has been implicated as a cause. A reliable animal model of disc degeneration is necessary to evaluate therapeutics, and functional metrics are essential to quantify their benefit. To this end, needle puncture injuries were created in the caudal intervertebral discs of mice to induce disc degeneration. ⋯ The small needle size had no significant effect on mechanics and did not initiate degenerative changes in structure and composition. Thus, the injection of therapeutics into the NP with a minimal needle size may limit damage due to the needle insertion. These findings, along with the wide commercial availability of mouse-specific biological probes, indicate that the mouse caudal disc model can be a powerful tool for investigating disc degeneration and therapy.
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Bacterial infection is a serious postoperative complication of joint replacement. To prevent infections related to implantation, we have developed a novel antibacterial coating with Ag-containing hydroxyapatite (Ag-HA). In the present study, we examined the antibacterial activity of Ag-HA implant coatings in the medullary cavity of rat tibiae. ⋯ Mean radiographic scores for infection were significantly lower with Ag-HA implants than with HA implants. Histological examination showed better results for abscesses, bone resorption, and destruction of cortical bone around Ag-HA-coated implants. These results indicate that Ag-HA coatings may help prevent surgical-site infections associated with joint replacement.