Bone Cements, Sachbücher von Klaus-Dieter Kühn

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is the basic component of bone cements. To use it, a dough is prepared from the liquid and powder by mixing right before application, which is normally done by the operating team. During its working phase the dough is then inserted into the tissue where polymerization is completed. Thus, the final implant polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is only created at the implantation site. Besides methyl methacrylate, bone cements sometimes contain other methacrylates, such as butyl methacrylate. To achieve X-ray opacity, radiopacifiers (zirconium dioxide or barium sulfate) are added to the powder. Both the liquid and powder components contain additives (initiator and activator) that launch polymerization and control the set ting when mixed together. Moreover, softener and emulsifiers are some times used. The addition of antibiotics to the powder component in order to preven.