BIOLOGICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF COMMERCIAL PMMA BONE CEMENTS CONTAINING AW-GC FILLER

We reported previously that a bioactive PMMA-based cement was obtained by using a dry method of silanation of AW-GC particles, and using high molecular weight PMMA beads. In this report, commercial PMMA bone cements (CMW1, Surgical Simplex) containing AW-GC filler in the ratio of 70wt% were investigated (abbreviated as B-CMW1 and B-Surg Simp). Their handling properties were similar to the commercial CMW1 cement that does not contain bioactrve powder (C-CMW1) as dough and setting times were 3 and 8 minutes respectively for both types of bioactive cements compared to 2 and 6 minutes respectively for C-CMW1. Bending strength of plates made from both bioactive cements and C-CMW1 cement was 90 ± 7 MPa for B-CMW1 and 98 ± 7 MPa for B-Surg Simp compared to 92±6 MPa for C-CMW1 after one day of immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). These cements were also implanted in the medullary canals of rat tibiae. After 4 and 8 weeks of implantation, the bone-cement interface was examined using scanning electron microscope and Giemsa surface staining and the affinity index was calculated. After 8 weeks it was 55.5±10.8 for B-CMW1 and 49.4 ± 4.6 for B-Surg Simp compared to 2.0±1.4 for C-CMW1 indicating higher bioacivity than that previously reported.