Reinforcement of bone cement using zirconia fibers with and without acrylic coating

✍ Scribed by Shiva Kotha; Chaodi Li; Steven Schmid; James Mason

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 396 KB
• Volume: 88A
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1549-3296
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.31783

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Acrylic (polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA) bone cement was modified by the addition of high‐strength zirconia fibers with average lengths of 200 μm and diameters of 15 μm or 30 μm. A novel emulsion polymerization process was developed to encapsulate individual fibers in PMMA. Improvements in tensile and compressive properties as well as in fracture toughness were investigated upon incorporation of uncoated and acrylic coated zirconia fibers. Bone cements were reinforced with 2% by volume of the 15 μm diameter and 5% by volume of the 30 μm fibers. Results indicate that elastic modulus and ultimate strength of bone cements reinforced with zirconia fibers were higher than controls, being the largest for cements reinforced with 30 μm diameter fibers. The fracture toughness of the cement increased by 23% and 41% by the addition of 15 μm and 30 μm fibers, respectively. Coating of individual zirconia fibers did not result in improved material properties of bone cements. The use of uncoated or acrylic coated 30 μm fibers is recommended based on the significant increases in ultimate strength and fracture toughness of the cements. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2009