Dopamine-functionalized sulphated hyaluronic acid as a titanium implant coating enhances biofilm prevention and promotes osseointegration.

A series of new hyaluronan derivatives was synthesized and tested as an antibiotic release system by antibacterial and osseointegration assays. Specifically, partially sulphated hyaluronic acid (sHA) was functionalized with dopamine (DA). The DA moiety guarantees good performance as a binding agent for coating a titanium alloy surface; furthermore, the negatively charged sHA has bone regenerative effects and a high binding affinity for positively charged antibiotics.