The present invention relates to orthopedic implants, in particular to hip and knee prostheses, substantially involving metallic substrates with an antibacterial surface treatment consisting of silver immobilized in an organic linker and ligand via a multistep solution dipping and drying process. This treatment while being biocompatible is designed to inhibit bacterial growth and therefore combat periprosthetic infection which is one of the main causes of revision in hip and knee arthroplasty.