The temperature problem at the bone-acrylic cement interface of the total hip replacement.

Loosening of total joint replacements may be caused in part by thermal necrosis of bone in contact with the high temperature of the polymerizing PMMA acrylic cement. This study reports a method to reduce the temperature of the bone-cement interface below the temperature at which bone results in definite necrosis. By precooling the acetubular component to --84 degrees before insertion into the cement, the temperature during polymerization at a simulated bone-cement interface can be reduced from 70 degrees to 49 degrees with an increase of only approximately 51/2 minutes in the cement setting time.