Cationic antimicrobial coatings with osteoinductive properties

Orthopedic implant-associated infections caused by pathogenic bacteria, especially the Staphylococcus genus, have been a medical and surgical challenge. The infections not only delay the healing process, and have patients suffer from severe pain and even be subjected to re-implantation, but also cause enormous economic losses. It is clear that both a reduction of bacterial infections and acceleration of bone healing are critical to improving the osseointegration of orthopedic implants. Recently, various antibacterial coatings have been employed for the surface modification of orthopedic implants to reduce the bacterial infections. Interestingly, it has been found that some antibacterial coatings, including polycations and metal cations, also possess osteoinductive properties, and thus effectively speed up the healing process. In this chapter, we will shed light on the antibacterial and osteogenic mechanisms of positively charged biomaterials and present some typical cationic antimicrobial coatings with osteoinductive properties in detail.