Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Adhesion Of Staphylococci To Breast Prosthesis Biomaterials: An Electron Microscopic Evaluation, T. A. Fassel, J. E. Van Over, C. C. Hauser, C. E. Edmiston, J. R. Sanger

Cells and Materials

Gram-positive coagulase-negative staphylococci have been implicated in breast prosthesis infection. Staphylococcus au re us, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus hominis strains were examined for adhesion and proliferation morphology to polyurethane foam and smooth silicone rubber prosthetic biomaterials. Ruthenium red, alcian blue and ruthenium red-lysine in en bloc procedures were applied to optimally visualize the polysaccharide slime. Ruthenium red processing resulted in observation of additional outer material close to the cell wall, more than seen in the absence of cationic reagent. Alcian blue preserved fibrous or netlike strands or meshworks of material. Ruthenium red-lysine preserved considerable amounts of slime covering the cocci …