7.2 Bone Cement ☆

Total joint replacement is one of the most effective treatments for arthritis. Bone cement revolutionized the fixation of artificial joints. This chapter presents an overview of the mechanical properties and behaviors of poly(methyl methacrylate) bone cement. The success of a cemented artificial joint depends on the integrity of the bone cement, which in turn depends on the mechanical properties. The factors that affect the mechanical properties can include those internal to the bone cement such as the chemical formulation or type of radiopacifier, and those external to the bone cement such as mixing technique and initial temperature of the components. In this chapter, we review not only the investigations to measure the properties, but also the efforts to change and improve bone cement. The success of cemented total joints may be improved by improving the mechanical reliability of the bone cement.