Bacterial colonization is the primary clinical problem faced by the surgeon
and medical device innovator. Despite the absence of effective systemic tr
eatment, medical implants and devices have been deployed with increasing su
ccess over the past five decades. Infection-resistant materials (IRMs) are
a relatively recent addition to the science of implant and device developme
nt. The first IRM utilized leachable antimicrobial agents. Nonleachable tec
hnologies are being developed, some of which have the potential to make org
an replacement even more successful in the future.