Surface texturing and control of bacterial adhesion

Biomaterial - centered infection due to bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation is one of the main barriers to the extended use of implanted medical devices. While a variety of approaches have been developed to incorporate antibacterial properties into biomaterials, surface texturing techniques are attractive because they do not require antibiotics or other antimicrobial agents. This article focuses on surface texturing techniques with an eye towards imparting anti-bacterial functionality in terms of bacterial adhesion to biomaterials, and provides a critical assessment of the application of this technique in development of anti-infective biomaterials from the theoretical basis, design of textures, manufacturing, and applications.