Gel Based on Hydroxyethyl Starch with Immobilized Amikacin for Coating of Bone Matrices in Experimental Osteomyelitis Treatment.

A polysaccharide gel containing covalently bound amikacin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, was produced by using epichlorohydrin-activated hydroxyethyl starch (HES). The structure of the polymers was analyzed by C and H nuclear magnetic resonance (C NMR and H NMR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry. The sites of covalent attachment of amikacin to the epoxypropyl substituent and the HES backbone were determined.