Drop-on-demand antimicrobial printed coatings loaded with a dehydroabietic acid derivative to prevent orthopedic implant infections.

Microvalve-based drop-on-demand (DOD) printing technology was applied to create antimicrobial coatings for orthopedic implants. Leveraging the high-precision deposition capabilities of DOD, coatings loaded with a novel biofilm inhibitor, N-(abiet-8,11,13-trien-18-oyl) cyclohexyl-L-alanine (DHA1), were fabricated on titanium coupons. The PLGA-PEG-DHA1 coatings exhibited significant efficacy in preventing Staphylococcus aureus adhesion in mono- and co-cultures with HL-60 cells. Furthermore, the PLGA-PEG-DHA1 coatings showed a sustained protective effect of the 30% DHA1-loaded coating over 24 hours. The PLGA-PEG-DHA1 coatings ensured safety with no cytotoxic effect observed on SaOS-2 mammalian cells, fostering tissue integration post-implantation. This study highlights the potential for the future production of multi-component DOD coatings combining various ink compositions, including different polymers, antimicrobial agents, or growth factors.