The Biofilm Formation onto Implants and Prosthetic Materials May Be Contrasted Using Gallium (3+)

Bacterial contamination of implanted devices is a common cause of their failure. Microbial contamination of the biomaterials differs from that of natural tissues. In fact, the contamination modalities of medical devices depend on many peculiar factors related to them: the chemistry of the biomaterial, the physical properties of the surface, the design of the medical device, the extension of surgical invasion, and the time of application. The environment and/or the conditions and response of the host also contribute to the development of infection. Viruses, fungi, protozoa and bacteria are all involved in biomaterial contamination. They are endogenous commensals of the mouth, not virulent in planktonic form, but pathogens when arranged in biofilm. In this paper we review the potency of application of Gallium doping to the surface biomaterials addressed for surgical implantation in order to contrast the bacteria biofilm formation.