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On the mechanics of bacterial biofilms on non-dissolvable surgical sutures: a laser scanning confocal microscopy-based finite element study

On the mechanics of bacterial biofilms on non-dissolvable surgical sutures: a laser scanning confocal microscopy-based finite element study
On the mechanics of bacterial biofilms on non-dissolvable surgical sutures: a laser scanning confocal microscopy-based finite element study
Biofilms are bacterial communities encapsulated within a self-secreted extra-cellular polymeric substance and are responsible for a wide range of chronic medical device related infections. Understanding and addressing the conditions that lead to the attachment and detachment of biofilms from biomedical surfaces (orthopaedic implants, sutures, intravenous catheters, cardio-vascular stents, etc) has the potential to identify areas of the device which might be more prone to infection and predict how and when biofilms might dislodge.

In this study, an integrated software methodology was devised to create image-based microscopic finite element models of real biofilm colonies of Staphylococcus aureus attached to a fragment of surgical suture. Our goal was to predict how deformation of the suture may lead to the potential detachment of biofilm colonies by solving the equations of continuum mechanics using the Finite Element Method for various loading cases. Tension, torsion and bending of the biomaterial structure were simulated and demonstrated that small strains in the suture can produce surface shear stresses sufficient to trigger the sliding of biofilms over the suture surface. Applications of this technique to other medical devices are discussed.
biofilm, bacterial adhesion, suture, finite element modelling, confocal microscopy
1742-7061
6641-6652
Limbert, Georges
a1b88cb4-c5d9-4c6e-b6c9-7f4c4aa1c2ec
Bryan, Rebecca
472a9338-0f7d-4767-8bbe-c472151e56da
Cotton, Ross
36aa0024-ce48-475d-aea1-754aa38b2fe9
Young, Philippe
251d84a2-cb36-4271-8d0a-2d6fcfa58c0f
Hall-Stoodley, Luanne
94ebdc00-b549-4488-b15f-5310fb965f5b
Kathju, Sandeep
80cdb7ee-2e0d-4e70-98c9-93682ce05a09
Stoodley, Paul
08614665-92a9-4466-806e-20c6daeb483f
Limbert, Georges
a1b88cb4-c5d9-4c6e-b6c9-7f4c4aa1c2ec
Bryan, Rebecca
472a9338-0f7d-4767-8bbe-c472151e56da
Cotton, Ross
36aa0024-ce48-475d-aea1-754aa38b2fe9
Young, Philippe
251d84a2-cb36-4271-8d0a-2d6fcfa58c0f
Hall-Stoodley, Luanne
94ebdc00-b549-4488-b15f-5310fb965f5b
Kathju, Sandeep
80cdb7ee-2e0d-4e70-98c9-93682ce05a09
Stoodley, Paul
08614665-92a9-4466-806e-20c6daeb483f

Limbert, Georges, Bryan, Rebecca, Cotton, Ross, Young, Philippe, Hall-Stoodley, Luanne, Kathju, Sandeep and Stoodley, Paul (2013) On the mechanics of bacterial biofilms on non-dissolvable surgical sutures: a laser scanning confocal microscopy-based finite element study. Acta Biomaterialia, 9 (5), 6641-6652. (doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2013.01.017).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Biofilms are bacterial communities encapsulated within a self-secreted extra-cellular polymeric substance and are responsible for a wide range of chronic medical device related infections. Understanding and addressing the conditions that lead to the attachment and detachment of biofilms from biomedical surfaces (orthopaedic implants, sutures, intravenous catheters, cardio-vascular stents, etc) has the potential to identify areas of the device which might be more prone to infection and predict how and when biofilms might dislodge.

In this study, an integrated software methodology was devised to create image-based microscopic finite element models of real biofilm colonies of Staphylococcus aureus attached to a fragment of surgical suture. Our goal was to predict how deformation of the suture may lead to the potential detachment of biofilm colonies by solving the equations of continuum mechanics using the Finite Element Method for various loading cases. Tension, torsion and bending of the biomaterial structure were simulated and demonstrated that small strains in the suture can produce surface shear stresses sufficient to trigger the sliding of biofilms over the suture surface. Applications of this technique to other medical devices are discussed.

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More information

Published date: May 2013
Keywords: biofilm, bacterial adhesion, suture, finite element modelling, confocal microscopy
Organisations: nCATS Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 347946
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/347946
ISSN: 1742-7061
PURE UUID: 9624ec0f-7993-428e-ad7c-53b93e326b88
ORCID for Paul Stoodley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6069-273X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Feb 2013 18:09
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:34

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Contributors

Author: Georges Limbert
Author: Rebecca Bryan
Author: Ross Cotton
Author: Philippe Young
Author: Luanne Hall-Stoodley
Author: Sandeep Kathju
Author: Paul Stoodley ORCID iD

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