Table 1 Steel implants infected with S. epidermidis ATCC 35984 in an in vivo rat model

Time period (days)

20

42

42

42

Rats (n)

4

2^a

3

2^a

Bone grafts (n)

8

4

6

4

Steel plates (n)^b

12

6

9

6

Bacterial growth in bone grafts (total CFU)

110 (± 50)·10⁵

69 (± 41)·10⁵

96 (± 65)·10⁵

170 (± 36)·10⁵

Bacterial growth in sonicate fluid (CFU/ml)

217 (± 122)·10²

31 (± 22)·10²

68 (± 112) 10²

32 (± 21) 10²