401
Views
24
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review

In vitro and in vivo effects of antibiotics on bone cell metabolism and fracture healing

, BM MRCS, , MBChB MRCS, , BM (Hons) MRCS, , MD, , MSc FDS RCS FRCS, , PhD & , MD MSc PhD FRCS show all
Pages 15-32 | Published online: 12 Dec 2011
 

Abstract

Introduction: Recent evidence suggests that antibiotics exert direct effects on bone at a cellular level, disrupting mitochondrial function and cell activity. This comprehensive literature review aims to evaluate evidence for the effects of antibiotics and antimicrobials on bone and discuss the clinical implications.

Areas covered: A literature search was conducted on electronic databases covering a period from 1969 to 2010. Studies were included if they reported in vivo and in vitro experimental findings regarding the use of antibiotics and synthetic antibacterials in both animals and humans, focusing on bone cell function and especially fracture repair.

Expert opinion: Current research suggests that these negative results could be due to direct effects of antibiotics on mitochondrial physiology within mammalian cells. Treatment doses of antibiotics, especially those released from topical delivery systems such as bone cements, result in antibiotic concentrations thousands of times higher than those required to inhibit bacterial growth. Our findings suggest a need to develop current antibiotic delivery systems to elute sufficient doses to inhibit bacterial growth without negative effects on bone physiology and fracture repair processes.

Notes

This box summarises key points contained in the article.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.