PMMA-based composite materials with reactive ceramic fillers: part III: radiopacifying particle-reinforced bone cements.

New acrylic bone cements were prepared from alumina particles previously treated by 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylmethacrylate (gamma-MPS), able to act both as radiopacifying and reinforcing agents. The present study deals with the handling characteristics and the compressive behavior of such cements. The influence of the particles morphology, their surface-modification by gamma-MPS bonding agent, their concentration in the cement, the powder-to-liquid ratio and the benzoyl peroxide concentration are reported. The role of grafted gamma-MPS molecules as coupling agent was confirmed. For several formulations, compressive strength and modulus reached 150 MPa and 3400 MPa respectively. Limitations in the use of such formulations are also comprehensively discussed. Copyright 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers