Porous PMMA loaded with Calcium phosphates

摘要

PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) was the first type of acrylic cement used in the spine applications. At the beginning PMMA was developed for completely different purposes in humans, i.e. dental implants, ocular prosthetics and implant fixation in artificial joints prosthetics. Nowadays, many new injectable bone cements are designed for vertebral body application. The results obtained in the last decades with PMMA in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures have evidenced that better biomaterials adapted to their function as vertebral body bone void filler must be found. The addition of calcium phosphate (CaP) to acrylic cements is to establish a compromise between the desired mechanical and biological properties. It has been proven that the inclusion of CaP additives in the acrylic matrix does not modify the properties of the CaP. CaP maintain their ability to promote bone ingrowth while the monomer concentration of the acrylic cements stays stable [1]. This work aims to provide a characterization and understanding of a CaP-loaded porous PMMA composite.