Antibiotic-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement beads have been used as a local drug delivery system for the treatment of bone and soft tissue infections. The beads deliver a high local level of antibiotic with a decreased risk of toxic systemic levels. This study was undertaken to determine the antibiotic release characteristics of tobramycin-impregnated beads over time and to determine the compressive strength of these beads. Acrylic resin (PMMA) bone cement beads were prepared with three different concentrations of tobramycin. The beads were tested for compressive strength, and their antibiotic release characteristics were determined over a 21 day period by radioimmunoassay and by biological testing against a variety of bacteria. The compressive strength of the beads was found to be adequate to avoid fragmentation during their clinical use. There was gradual release of tobramycin from the beads over the entire 21 days, but the release was most marked during the first 48 hours. There was antibiotic activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive organisms, except Enterococcus, for the entire 21 day period. The release of tobramycin followed a curvilinear relationship and was directly related to the initial antibiotic concentration of the bead. Tobramycin-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate beads may represent a reliable method of local antibiotic delivery with sustained activity against a broad spectrum of organisms.