Parx Plastics’ EU patent application for the use of its technologies in polymer parts of orthopaedic implants (e.g. hip and knee joints) has been granted.
Earlier this year the patent was already granted in the territory of Italy and the extension into the rest of the EU is now successfully completed. The patent will provide Parx’ biocompatible technologies with protection specifically in the orthopaedic field. UHMWPE components are used in total endoprosthetic joints, for example in endoprothesis of the hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, elbow and vertebral column.
Professor Luigi Costa, researcher and specialist in Vitamin E-blended UHMWPE biomaterials connected to the Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Imaging Centre of the University of Torino, Italy, said:
“The Parx Plastics technology improving the resistance to adhesion of bacterial biofilms to the surface of orthopaedic prostheses parts made from UHWMPE with Vitamin E, represents a further step forward in better controlling the risks of infection.”
For the verification of the characteristics of the technology developed by Parx Plastics and its functionality in UHMWPE with Vitamin E, the company cooperated with different universities and an accredited laboratory. The studies performed have determined an important reduction in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
The microbial load detected on the surface of samples integrated with the Parx Plastics technologies, after different times of contact, is quantitatively less than the value obtained on normal samples without this technology, obtaining percentage of inhibition of 99.99% after 48 hours. The strains tested were:
· Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC 12228;
· Staphylococcus aureus MRSA ATCC 25923;
· Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212
· Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 9027
Other in-vivo studies have shown that the Parx Plastics technologies prevent biofilm adhesion on the surface. This prevents the build-up of biofilm and it consequently prevents bacteria assembling within this biofilm.