Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Production of PMMA‐Based Bone Cement

Abstract

AbstractPoly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)‐based polymers have been extensively used for manufacturing of artificial bone cements for treatment of osteoporosis. A typical bone cement recipe contains methyl methacrylate, which polymerizes in situ during cement application. An inherent problem of this reaction is the high amount of heat released during the cement preparation, which may lead to irreparable damage of living tissues. Optimization of PMMA‐based bone cement (PMMABC) recipes is thus an important step towards safe and reliable clinical usage of these materials. A theoretical and experimental investigation is performed here to unveil the influence of some preparation variables on the production of PMMABC and to allow for future optimization of the PMMABC recipe. It is shown that the degree of mixing of the components of the recipe plays a fundamental role on the development of the temperature profile. For this reason, the PMMABC obtained with the in‐situ blending of PMMA and barium sulfate during the suspension polymerization leads to much better homogeneity of the final test pieces and improved control of the temperature profile.