title: Mechanics of bone/PMMA composite structures: an in vitro study of human vertebrae.
abstract: The goal of this study was to provide material property data for the cement/bone composite resulting from the introduction of PMMA bone cement into human vertebral bodies. A series of quasistatic tensile and compressive mechanical tests were conducted using cement/bone composite structures machined from cement-infiltrated vertebral bodies. Experiments were performed both at room temperature and at body temperature. We found that the modulus of the composite structures was lower than bulk cement (p<0.0001). For compression at 37( composite function)C: composite =2.3+/-0.5GPa, cement =3.1+/-0.2GPa; at 23( composite function)C: composite =3.0+/-0.3GPa, cement =3.4+/-0.2GPa. Specimens tested at room temperature were stiffer than those tested at body temperature (p=0.0004). Yield and ultimate strength factors for the composite were all diminished (55-87%) when compared to cement properties. In general, computational models have assumed that cement/bone composite had the same modulus as cement. The results of this study suggest that computational models of cement infiltrated vertebrae and cemented arthroplasties could be improved by specifying different material properties for cement and cement/bone composite.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Surgery Department, Musculoskeletal Science Research Center, Institute for Human Performance, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. racea@upstate.edu
authors.forename: Amos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Race
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Avram A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Edidin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000737:chemistry*; D019245:Compressive Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D013131:Spine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology*; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate