Objective An increasing elderly population means an increase in numbers of joint replacement surgeries, and an associated rise in complications such as periprosthetic joint infections (PJI). PJI occurs following 1-3% of primary arthroplasties, with the biofilm nature of their growth posing significant treatment challenge. Consequently, functionalization of implant surfaces to prevent biofilm formation is a major research focus, including antimicrobial coatings. This study evaluates biofilm growth inhibition by localised antimicrobial release from a novel silica-based, biodegradable sol-gel implant device coating. Methodology Antimicrobial activity of sol-gel coatings against relevant microorganisms (including several clinically isolated strains which demonstrated antibiotic resistance) was assessed via disc diffusion assays, broth microdilution culture methods, and MBEC assays used to determine anti-biofilm activity. Osteoblast-like MG-63 osteosarcoma cells were cultured in the presence of antimicrobial sol-gel to determine cytotoxicity using the Alamar blue assay. Primary osteoblast cells were isolated from bovine vertebral explants, for use in further cytotoxicity testing. Results: The sol-gel coatings showed antibiotic release and strong activity against a range of clinically relevant pathogens. Previous work by the research group showed that mesenchymal stem cells grown on gentamicin loaded coatings maintained viability, current work is underway expanding upon this by investigating cytotoxicity of sol-gel compositions against MG-63 cells and primary osteoblasts. Conclusions: The implant coating has the potential to advance prevention of PJI infections, reducing the burden on healthcare and patient wellbeing. Future work includes evaluating performance in a bone cell culture model which will reduce the need for animal experimentation.