Methyl methacrylate concentrations in tissues adjacent to bone cement.

The amount of methyl methacrylate monomer present in bone tissue immediately adjacent to implanted bone cement that has polymerized in vivo has been determined. Poly(methyl methacrylate) was implanted into the distal femoral condyle of the dog and allowed to polymerize. At various times following polymerization, samples were removed and sections adjacent to the cement were cut and subjected to homogenization followed by liquid gas chromatographic determination of the amount of methyl methacrylate monomer present. The highest concentration of methyl methacrylate monomer present in bone tissue was 0.140% in the 1000 micrometers of bone tissue adjacent to bone cement immediately after polymerization of the cement. The concentration was very similar (0.137%) 1 hr after cement polymerization, but dropped off rapidly following that with no free methyl methacrylate monomer present in bone tissue adjacent to cement after 4 hr following cement polymerization.