Fig. 7.

Antibacterial evaluation of PEM coatings (A-C) Antibacterial properties of different surfaces against MRSA and E. coli using the agar diffusion test at 12 h (number of bacterial clones and diameter of inhibition zone). (D) SEM images showing the morphology of MRSA and E. coli incubated with different PEEK substrates for 24 h. (E) Styo9-PI staining of MRSA and E. coli implanted on different PEEK substrates for 24 h. (F-G) H&E and Giemsa staining of peri-implant soft tissues at day 3 and 7 after surgery. Data are mean ± SD. Significant differences among groups are indicated (**p < 0.01, *p < 0.05).