Selection of acrylic bone cements for use in joint replacement.

Commercial acrylic bone cements have been compared in terms of their mechanical, thermal and rheological properties. Significant differences have been found between the tensile strengths, shear strengths and peak polymerization temperatures of the cements tested. Large differences have been found between the viscosities of different formulations and the duration of their working periods during polymerization. Optimum cement selection is found to depend critically upon ambient conditions within the operating theatre considered in combination with the characteristics of the cements themselves. It is proposed that, at present, the only differences between commercial bone cements of relevance to successful joint replacement lie in the area of rheological properties during polymerization.