While acrylic bone cement is an integral part of image-guided therapies for vertebral fractures and other bone-related disorders, few practitioners are familiar with the properties and chemistry of these compounds, and of the differences between various formulations and brands.
The following offers a brief overview of cement components and performance factors. For a full review, refer to the article. “The Chemistry of Acrylic Bone Cements and Implications for Clinical Use in Image-guided Therapy”, published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.
There are many issues that affect the performance of different cement formulations. Consider these factors:
Liquid to Powder Ratio – affects compressive strength and initial viscosity.
Initiator to Activator Ratio – affects setting time, polymerization temperature and strength.
Radiopacifiers –these are inert fillers and can diminish overall cement strength through formation of porosity.
PMMA Bead Size – effects viscosity, cure properties, polymerization temperatures, and setting times.
Most bone cements are mixed using a vial and bowl technique and require both powder and liquid in order to create a workable consistency. Mixing methods will differ, however, and this leads to inconsistent results.
To help reduce mixing inconsistency and also decrease monomer fumes, Parallax introduced the innovative Integrated Delivery System (IDS). This revolutionary system combines a unique cement cartridge and fully enclosed plunger to ensure a consistent mix and foolproof transfer of cement into the IDS injector.
