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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Nov 28.
Published in final edited form as: ACS Infect Dis. 2021 Nov 11;7(12):3125–3160. doi: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00465

Table 5.

Summary of Preclinical In Vivo Models from the Past Decade Used to Establish and Study Implant-Associated Infections

models to establish and study implant infections
animal model implant/location pathogen study duration key evaluation summary ref
fish – zebrafish none S. aureus SH1000-derived 3 weeks (1) histology bone fracture model in zebrafish 169
2.5 × 109 CFU (2) confocal imaging
mice – BALB/C titanium in femur S. aureus ATCC 29213 4 weeks (1) CFU count model to study implant infection biofilms 170
2 × 103–5 × 106 CFU (2) collect blood
(3) X-rays
(4) SEM biofilm
(5) histology
mice – BALB/C titanium in femur S.aureus ATCC 29213 4 weeks (1) CFU count model for histology scores of implant infection 171
1 × 103 CFU (2) X-rays
(3) histology
mice – BALB/C stainless steel in tibia S. aureus USA300 2 weeks (1) CFU count first animal model of S. agalactiae implant infection 172
5 × 105 CFU (2) micro-CT
S. agalactiae COH1 (3) histology
5 × 105 CFU (4) TRAP quantify
mice – diabetic NOD/ShiLtJ CD1 stainless steel in femur S. aureus ATCC 25923 4 weeks (1) CFU count diabetic model of implant infection 32
1 × 103 CFU (2) collect blood
(3) micro-CT
(4) SEM biofilm
(5) histology
mice – C57BL/6 and BALB/C titanium or poly(ether ether ketone) in femur S. aureus JAR 06.01.31 1 week (1) CFU count influence of implant material on implant infection 115
9 × 105 CFU (2) histology
mice – C57BL/6 titanium in femur P. aeruginosa Xen 41 3 weeks (1) CFU count Gram-negative implant infection model 163
1 × 103–1 × 105 CFU (2) X-rays
E. coli Xen 14 (3) histology
1 × 103–1 × 105 CFU (4) In vivo BLI
(5) PET imaging
(6) Flow cytometry
mice – C57BL/6 Ti6Al4V in tibia S. aureus Xen 36 2 and 6 weeks (1) CFU count clinically relevant load-bearing model of periprosthetic joint infection 173
3 × 105 CFU (2) collect blood
(3) X-rays
(3) SEM biofilm
(4) gait analysis
mice – C57BL/6 titanium in tibia S. aureus Xen 36 12 weeks, disrupt microbiota (1) CFU count role of the gut microbiota on periprosthetic joint infection 33
1 × 102 CFU (2) collect blood
(3) X-rays
5 days, postsurgery (4) gait analysis
(5) bacterial sequencing
mice – C57BL/6 stainless steel in humerus S. aureus Xen 36 6 weeks (1) CFU count model of implant infection in humerus 174
1 × 103 CFU (2) X-ray
(3) histology
(4) in vivo BLI
mice – C57BL/6 stainless steel in tibia S. aureus Xen 40 2 weeks (1) CFU count quantitative model of implant biofilm 175
(2) SEM biofilm
(3) in vivo BLI
rats – Sprague–Dawley Ti6Al4V in tibia S. aureus ATCC 25923 6 weeks (1) CFU count model of implant infection in metaphysis 176
1 × 103–1 × 106 CFU (2) collect blood
(3) X-rays
(4) histology
rats – Sprague–Dawley stainless steel in tibia S. aureus ATCC 49230 4 weeks (1) CFU count model of implant infection dependent on bacterial inoculation 177
1 × 102–1 × 106 CFU (2) collect blood
(3) X-rays
(4) histology
rats – Sprague–Dawley metal alloy and high density poly ethylene in femur/tibia S. aureus clinical MN8 and UAMS-1 6 weeks (1) CFU count model of knee implant infection 178
1 × 102–1 × 104 CFU (2) collect blood
(3) X-rays
(4) histology
rats – Sprague–Dawley titanium in femur S. aureus ATCC 49230 6 weeks (1) CFU count model of implant infection, hematogenous osteomyelitis complication 12
1 × 104–1 × 109 CFU (2) micro-CT
(3) histology
rats – Sprague–Dawley titanium and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene in tibia/femur S. aureus Xen 29 4 weeks (1) CFU count longitudinal infection model with two implant components that enables monitoring of postsurgery recovery 179
2 × 107 CFU (2) X-rays
(3) micro-CT
(4) collect blood
(5) histology
(6) gait analysis
rats – Sprague–Dawley 3D printed Ti6Al4V + PMMA in tibia S. aureus ORI16_C02N 4 weeks (1) CFU count model of knee implant infection 128
2 × 104 CFU (2) X-rays
(3) collect blood
(4) micro-CT
(5) histology
rats – Sprague–Dawley stainless steel in femur S. aureus ATCC 29213 1 week (1) collect blood model of effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid to decrease implant infection 180
1 × 107 CFU (2) histology
E. coli ATCC 25922
1 × 107 CFU
rats – Sprague–Dawley none S. aureus 2 weeks (1) CFU count 68Ga-citrate for PET imaging of implant infections 36
3 × 108 CFU (2) peripheral quantitative computed tomography
(3) histology
(4) 68Ga-citrate-chloride PET/CT imaging
rats – Wistar poly(ether ether ketone) in tibia S. epidermidis Epi103.1 4 weeks (1) CFU count longitudinal micro-CT imaging of implant infection with aerobic and anaerobic pathogens 116
1 × 106 CFU (2) time lapse micro-CT
P. acnes Type IA, IB
1 × 106 CFU
rats – Wistar poly(ether ether ketone) and titanium in tibia S. aureus JAR 06.01.31 4 weeks (1) CFU count model of morphological bone changes near infected implant 117
3 × 107 CFU (2) in vivo micro-CT
(3) histology
(4) pull-out testing
rabbits – New Zealand White 3D printed stainless steel + PMMA in tibia S. aureus ATCC 29213 1 week (1) CFU counts 3D printed custom implant for animal models, improve recovery 34
5 × 106 CFU (2) collect blood
(3) erythrocyte sedimentation rate
rabbits – New Zealand White 3D printed stainless steel + PMMA in tibia S. aureus ATCC 29213 1 week (1) gait analysis 3D printed custom implant for animal models–improve recovery 134
5 × 106 CFU (2) crystal violet biofilm stain on implant
rabbits – New Zealand White stainless steel in femur S. aureus ATCC 25923 3 weeks (1) X-rays model of implant infection following open fracture 181
1 × 106 CFU (2) micro-CT
(3) SEM biofilm
(4) histology
rabbits – New Zealand White TiAl6V4 in tibia S. aureus ATCC 49230 6 weeks (1) CFU count model of early implant infections in rabbits 182
4 × 105 CFU (2) X-rays
(3) histology
rabbits – New Zealand White stainless steel in tibia P. acnes 3 × 107 CFU 4 weeks (1) CFU count model of anaerobic species implant infection 183
(2) collect blood
(3) histology
pigs – Danish Landrace stainless steel in tibia S. aureus 4F9 (porcine) 5 days (1) collect blood low-inoculum porcine model of implant infection 184
1 × 102–1 × 104 CFU (2) CT imaging
pigs – Yorkshire-Landrace cross none S. aureus UAMS-1 11 and 15 days (1) CFU count pig model of hematogenous infection 185
1 × 104 CFU (2) collect blood
(3) CT
(4) histology