Bone cement fixation: acrylic cements

Publisher Summary Bone cements based on Poly(methylmethacrylate) [“PMMA―] are important products in joint replacement surgery. Originally developed for dental applications, they have been used effectively in joint replacement surgery for almost 50 years. They are widely perceived to be simple cold-curing polymer powder/liquid monomer systems; however there are many ways in which bone cements vary, leading to considerably different properties. PMMA bone cements are primarily used for the fixation of joint prostheses. In the fixation of joint replacement, the self-curing cement fills the free space between the prosthesis and the bone, and constitutes a very important interface. With thousands of studies, the understanding of the properties and use of bone cement has increased. The users of cemented joint replacement need to know the chemical and physical properties of bone cement, which change by even slight variations in the chemical composition. The final bone cement is produced by nurses and surgeons in the operating theatre. These users have enormous influence on the quality of the final cement. Control of handling procedures is of the utmost importance in producing a well-cemented implant. The use of modern cementing techniques has demonstrated increased long-term survival rate of cemented implants. Further education and training on bone cement and cementation techniques would reduce the complications of bone cement use and lead to yet longer implant survival.