title: A preliminary study of the release of quaternary ammonium antimicrobial compounds from acrylic bone cement.
abstract: The quaternary ammonium compounds benzalkonium chloride and cetyl pyridinium chloride have been studied as potential anti-microbial additives for incorporation into acrylic bone cement. Using the commercial bone cement Palacos K-40, each compound was added at 1% and 5% by mass. Setting time of the cement was 9.75 min. This did not change when benzalkonium chloride (5%) was present, but was shortened to 9.00 min by 5% cetyl pyridinium chloride. Release of additive was estimated by determining chloride release from set cement specimens using a chloride-ion selective electrode. This showed that release occurred but was a complicated process and did not follow simple diffusion-based kinetics. Release thus appeared to occur by a similar overall mechanism to that of gentamicin sulphate from bone cements. The results show that these anti-microbial compounds can be incorporated into acrylic bone cement and then released in a satisfactory manner and suggest that these compounds have the potential to replace gentamicin sulphate as active ingredients in orthopaedic cements.
authors.affiliation: School of Science, University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Chatham, Kent ME44TB, UK.
authors.forename: Manojgna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mathey
authors.forename: Vijaya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Surana
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Nicholson
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*; D004058:Diffusion; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D010865:Pilot Projects; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate