Osteogenic-antibacterial bifunctional implants: moxifloxacin-loaded polydopamine-hydroxyapatite coating on 3D-printed PEEK scaffolds

The synergistic confluence between osteoinductivity and antimicrobial properties improves the efficacy of bone defect repair, reducing the occurrence of surgical complications and ultimately enhancing treatment outcomes. Drawing inspiration from mussel adhesion proteins, this study proposes a bioinspired coating strategy to fabricate bifunctional 3D-printed polyetheretherketone (PEEK) scaffolds with polydopamine-modified hydroxyapatite (PHA) coating and moxifloxacin (MOX) loading. Our findings reveal that the PHA coating significantly increases the surface roughness and hydrophilicity of PEEK, facilitating efficient MOX adsorption and sustained release. In vitro evaluations confirm the superior cytocompatibility of the PHA-modified scaffolds, which significantly promote the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. Moreover, MOX-loaded scaffolds exhibit potent antibacterial activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (96.1% and 98.7% inhibition, respectively). In summary, this integrated synergistic design not only fosters bone regeneration but also minimizes infection risks, making these scaffolds promising advanced implants for effective bone defect repair and drug delivery. Download: Download high-res image (188KB) Download: Download full-size image