The objective of this research is ultimately to design a sensor based on nanotechnology to determine events (such as infection, inflammation, or bone growth) on the surface of an orthopedic implant and respond accordingly depending on what is happening. For example, long-term antimicrobial/antibacterial therapy leading to revision surgery can be avoided by incorporating antibiotics on a Ti implant surface, which releases when such a sensor recognizes bacteria functions. In this study, penicillin/streptomycin (P/S) and dexamethasone (Dex) were successfully immobilized by electropolymerization within polypyrrole thin films coated on the surface of Ti, which is widely used in orthopedic applications. Poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) was further used to prolong Dex release. In vitro results showed that greater numbers of human osteoblasts adhered on these polymer-coated substrates than conventional Ti. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy monitored and compared the reaction effectiveness and the yield of electropolymerization. Polypyrrole thin films with P/S and Dex, and even further coated with PLGA, all possessed nanometer scale roughness, as analyzed by atomic force microscopy. In summary, this study demonstrated that P/S or Dex drug incorporated within electroactive polypyrrole films, whose release could be controlled by the developed sensor, supported osteoblast adhesion and could potentially fight both bacterial infection and inflammation.

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1. Nanotechnology for Improving Implant Function
2. Nanotechnology for Treating Damaged Organs: A Collection of in vivo Studies