title: Contamination of polyethylene cups with polymethyl methacrylate particles: an experimental study.
abstract: The articulating surfaces of 6 ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene cups were exposed to curing polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone-cement and examined with scanning electron microscopy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). Three of the cups were exposed to blood and bone-cement, and the rest were exposed to bone-cement only. After removal of the bone-cement bulk, PMMA particles were found and identified in all 6 cups. The particles were verified by identifying zirconium with energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy in 5 cups and with LA-ICPMS in 1 cup. The degree of surface contamination was estimated with LA-ICPMS. The number of zirconium-containing particles detected was on average 10 to 20/mm2. PMMA bone-cement left in polyethylene cups during polymerization can contaminate the articulating surface with adherent PMMA particles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital, Lund, Borås, Sweden.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kesteris
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haraldsson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lausmaa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lidgren
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Onnerfält
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wingstrand
mesh_terms: D001843:Bone Cements / Q000737:chemistry*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011095:Polyethylenes; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements; D011095:Polyethylenes; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate