title: Comparison of failure characteristics of a range of cancellous bone-bone cement composites.
abstract: Over the past decade, orthopedic surgery has embraced an increase in the depth of cement penetration into the adjacent cancellous bone structure. The resultant interdigitation transforms this zone into a thick layer of continuous interpenetrating composite material. The failure behavior of the composite formed with a number of potential bone cements with different bonding ability was investigated. The cancellous bone-cement composites exhibit considerable resistance to crack extension, and in situ optical observation indicates that the contribution of the cancellous bone is analogous to that of a typical fiber bridging process. The critical stress intensity factor and the work of fracture have been used to quantify the failure characteristics of the cancellous bone-cement composites. The nature of the crack propagation through these cement-bone composites was also captured via optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopic images were taken of the failure surfaces. The R-curve behavior, or crack extension characteristic, of the cancellous bone-cement composite was also determined. The interesting outcome is that the cancellous bone-PMMA (poly-methylmethacrylate) composite, despite the absence of chemical bonding with bone, required the highest energy to fracture. In addition, the dimensional stability of the cement has a great effect on the interface.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lucksanasombool
authors.forename: W A J
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Higgs
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ignat
authors.forename: R J E D
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Higgs
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Swain
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001843:Bone Cements / Q000737:chemistry*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002417:Cattle; D008422:Materials Testing; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements