PMMA: an essential material in medicine and dentistry.

The first use of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as a dental device was for the fabrication of complete denture bases. Its qualities of biocompatibility, reliability, relative ease of manipulation, and low toxicity were soon seized upon and incorporated by many different medical specialties. PMMA has been used for (a) bone cements; (b) contact and intraocular lens; (c) screw fixation in bone; (d) filler for bone cavities and skull defects; and (e) vertebrae stabilization in osteoporotic patients. The many uses of PMMA in the field of medicine will be the focus of this review, with particular attention paid to assessing its physical properties, advantages, disadvantages, and complications. Although numerous new alloplastic materials show promise, the versatility and reliability of PMMA cause it to remain a popular and frequently used material.