Biodegradable antibiotic implants and methods of their use in treating and preventing infections

A method of preventing or treating infection in a living patient at the site of a void in the patient's body created by surgery, comprising placing in a surgical void in a living patient a biodegradable implant, the implant comprising:

• biodegradable lactic acid polymers;
• and
• the antibiotic drugs clindamycin and vancomycin;
• where the weight ratio of lactic acid polymers to the antibiotic drugs is about 10:1 and the weight ratio of clindamycin to vancomycin is about 10:1, where the clindamycin is substantially totally released from the biodegradable implant into the surrounding tissue within a period of about 2-4 weeks after the biodegradable implant is placed into the surgical void, and where the vancomycin is substantially totally released from the biodegradable implant into the surrounding tissue within a period of about 6-10 weeks after the biodegradable implant is placed into the surgical void.

A method of preventing or treating infection in a living patient at the site of a void in the patient's body created by surgery, comprising placing in a surgical void in a living patient a biodegradable implant, the implant comprising:

• at least one biodegradable material selected from the group consisting of polymers of lactic acid, oligomers of lactic acid, polymers of glycolic acid, oligomers of glycolic acid, copolymers of lactic and glycolic acid, and mixtures thereof;
• and
• a combination of antibiotic drugs selected from the group consisting of (a) clindamycin and vancomycin in a weight ratio of about 10:1, and (b) tobramycin and clindamycin in a weight ratio of about 10:1;
• where the weight ratio of the biodegradable material to the combination of antibiotic drugs is between about 50:1 and about 5:1.

A biodegradable implant for preventing or treating infection in a living patient at the site of a void in the patient's body created by surgery, comprising:

• at least one biodegradable material selected from the group consisting of polymers of lactic acid, oligomers of lactic acid, polymers of glycolic acid, oligomers of glycolic acid, copolymers of lactic and glycolic acid, and mixtures thereof;
• and
• a combination of antibiotic drugs selected from the group consisting of (a) clindamycin and vancomycin in a weight ratio of about 10:1, and (b) tobramycin and clindamycin in a weight ratio of about 10:1;
• where the weight ratio of the biodegradable material to the combination of antibiotic drugs in between about 50:1 and about 5:1.

A biodegradable implant for preventing or treating infection in a living patient at the site of a void in the patient's body created by surgery, comprising:

• biodegradable lactic acid polymers;
• and
• the antibiotic drugs clindamycin and vancomycin;
• where the weight ratio of lactic acid polymers to the antibiotic drugs is about 10:1 and the weight ratio of clindamycin to vancomycin is about 10:1.