Theoretical prediction and experimental determination of the effect of mold characteristics on temperature and monomer conversion fraction profiles during polymerization of a PMMA-based bone cement.

The present work is concerned with applications of a kinetic model for free-radical polymerization of a polymethylmethacrylate-based bone cement. Autocatalytic behavior at the first part of the reaction as well as a diffusion control phenomenon near vitrification are described by the model. Comparison of theoretical computations with experimental measurements for the temperature evolution during batch casting demonstrated the capacity of the proposed model to represent the kinetic behavior of the polymerization reaction. Temperature evolution and monomer conversion were simulated for the cure of the cement in molds made of different materials. The maximum monomer conversion fraction was markedly influenced by the physical properties of the mold material. The unreacted monomer acts as a plasticizer that influences the mechanical behavior of the cement. Hence, the same cement formulation cured in molds of different materials may result in different mechanical response because of the differences in the amounts of residual monomer. Standardization of the mold type to prepare specimens for the mechanical characterization of bone cements is recommended. Theoretical prediction of temperature evolution during hip replacement indicated that for cement thickness lower than 6 mm the peak temperature at the bone-cement interface was below the limit stated for thermal injury (50 degrees C for more than 1 min). The use of thin cement layers is recommended to diminish the risk of thermal injury; however, it is accompanied by an increase in the amount of unreacted monomer present in the cured material. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res (Appl Biomater) 63: 627-642, 2002