Application of Porous Polyetheretherketone Scaffold/Vancomycin‐Loaded Thermosensitive Hydrogel Composites for Antibacterial Therapy in Bone Repair

Abstract Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been widely used in bone repair, but it often fails due to bacterial infection. Herein, a high‐strength porous polyetheretherketone scaffold (ps‐PK) loaded with antibacterial drug‐loaded hydrogel strategy is proposed. The prepared ps‐PK possesses high porosity (30.8–64.7%) and the compression modulus is between 0.4 and 0.98 GPa. The interconnected pore‐type structure endows it with a drug loading capacity. Poly( D,L ‐lactic acid‐ co ‐glycolic acid)‐ b ‐Poly(ethylene glycol)‐ b ‐Poly( D,L ‐lactic acid‐ co ‐glycolic acid) (PLGA‐PEG‐PLGA) thermoresponsive hydrogels loaded with vancomycin are used as the drug sustained‐release system. The vancomycin‐loaded hydrogels in the solution state at a low temperature are filled into a porous polyetheretherketone scaffold (ps‐PK‐VGel) and formed a gel state after implantation in vivo. The antibacterial rate of ps‐PK‐VGel against methicillin‐resistant staphylococcus aureus in vitro is 99.7% and histological observation in vivo demonstrates that the ps‐PK‐VGel shows obvious antibacterial activity. Given its excellent antibacterial ability and mechanical properties, the porous PEEK scaffold composite drug‐loaded thermosensitive hydrogel has great potential in bone repair surgery applications.