The influence of substratum topography on bacterial adhesion to polymethyl methacrylate.

The effect of substratum roughness on the adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis was investigated using PMMA. A small increase in Ra values (0.04-1.24 microm) resulted in a significant increase (P<0.05) in bacterial attachment. Subsequent increases in surface roughness (Ra=1.86-7.89 microm) resulted in a decrease in adhesion, although adhesion was still higher than to the smooth surface. When the PMMA surfaces were coated with protein (bovine serum albumin), no difference (P<0.05) could be determined in the amount of protein adsorbed, irrespective of surface topography. However, the influence of the underlying topography on adhesion was still evident. Substratum topography is an important parameter affecting bacterial adhesion to surfaces.