|February 16, 2010 | Stevens Hydrogel Research Highlighted on
ABC News ABC News Channel 7 in Denver recently posted an article
discussing the risk of infection during orthopedic implant
surgeries to patients who undergo hip, knee and shoulder
replacement, as well as the research being done at Stevens
Institute of Technology to prevent it. According to the author,
nearly 1 million people per year undergo these surgeries, and in
about “1 to 2 percent of cases, an implant gets infected.” The
most common cause of infection in these cases stems from the
growth and proliferation of Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria,
found in the skin and mucous membranes. Stevens is on the
forefront of innovation in this area, and research has led to
the creation of ‘hydrogels’ that reduce the adherence of
bacteria and the growth of biofilm on the skin surface, leading
to a dramatic reduction in the risk and occurrence of infection.
Dr. Matthew Libera is the focus of a Stevens Ice Blog article
that goes into detail on exactly thi