Mechanical properties of oligomer-modified acrylic bone cement

The aim of this study was to determine the mechanical properties of acrylic bone cement modified with an experimental oligomer filler, based on an amino acid of trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline synthesized in the laboratory. The test specimens were tested either dry, or after being stored in distilled water or in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 1 week and then tested in distilled water. The three-point bending test was used to measure the flexural strength and flexural modulus of the cement, and the compression tests were used to measure the compression strength and modulus. One test specimen from each group was examined under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to determine the nature of the oligomer filler in the polymethylmethacrylate-polymethylacrylate copolymer-based (PMMA-PMA/PMMA) polymer blend. In dry conditions, the flexural strength of the test specimens tested in air was 66 MPa, and the compression strength was 93 GPa (p < 0.001) for the plain bone cement. For the test specimens including 20 wt% of oligomer filler, the flexural strength was 37 MPa, and the compression strength was 102 MPa (p < 0.001) in dry conditions. The storage in wet conditions (in distilled water and the SBF) decreased the flexural strength of the test specimens with 20 wtl/. of oligomer filler (p < 0.001) by 60% and the flexural modulus by 44% compared to the plain bone cement specimens stored in the same conditions. The reduction in compression strength in wet conditions was 32%, and that of the compression modulus was 30% (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between test specimens stored in distilled water or SBF (ANOVA,p < 0.001). In the SEM examinations, random voids were observed in the oligomer-PMMA-PMA/PMMA polymer blend after water or SBF storage. The results suggest that both water and SBF storage decrease the mechanical properties of the PMMA-PMA/PMMA bone cement modified with oligomer, while at the same time, there was porous formation in the bone cement structure. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.