More than 400,000 joint replacements are performed in Germany each year. Implant-associated infections occur in up to 2 % of all procedures. In revision surgeries, this risk rises up to 40 %. The consequences are serious: prolonged hospital stays, loss of function, and, in the worst cases, amputation or sepsis. Existing coating solutions are usually only effective for a short time and offer no protection against late-onset infections.

The Clinic for General Orthopedics and Tumor Orthopedics at the University Hospital Münster is developing a novel dual-layer coating system for titanium implants. A resorbable triglyceride layer releases vancomycin over a period of six weeks, thereby preventing early-onset infections. An underlying poly-L-lactide layer containing silver ions can be noninvasively activated in a targeted manner using extracorporeal shock waves in the event of late-onset infections.

With this funding, the system will undergo preclinical validation: manufacturing processes will be optimized, biological safety in accordance with ISO 10993 will be demonstrated, and long-term stability will be verified as the basis for technology transfer toward clinical approval.