The Functional Performance of Poly Methylmethacrylate Orthopaedic Bone Cement

Abstract

Materials for fixation of load-bearing implants in the human body should be able to sustain a cyclic load of variable magnitude over an extended period over the remaining lifetime of the parient. A material commonly used for fixation of orthopaedic, dental, and maxillofacial implants is a polymer poly methylmethacrylate (PMMA). However, PMMA does not ideally fulfill this criterion because it undergoes damage accumulation and creep under cyclic loading. This leads to implant loosening and the need for a revision operation.