Asian Spine J.  2009 Dec;3(2):45-52. 10.4184/asj.2009.3.2.45.

Mechanical Properties of Blood-Mixed Polymethylmetacrylate in Percutaneous Vertebroplasty

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul Sacred Heart General Hospital, Seoul, Korea. niceosu@freechal.com
  • 2Biomedical Engineering Department, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea.

Abstract

STUDY DESIGN: Mechanical study of polymethylmetacrylate (PMMA) mixed with blood as a filler. PURPOSE: An attempt was made to modify the properties of PMMA to make it more suitable for percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The expected mechanical changes by adding a filler into PMMA included decreasing the Young's modulus, polymerization temperature and setting time. These changes in PMMA were considered to be more suitable and adaptable conditions in PVP for an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture.
METHODS
Porous PMMA were produced by mixing 2 ml (B2), 4 ml (B4) and 6 ml (B6) of blood as a filler with 20 g of regular PMMA. The mechanical properties were examined and compared with regular PMMA(R) in view of the Young's modulus, polymerization temperature, setting time and optimal passing-time within an injectable viscosity (20-50 N-needed) through a 2.8 mm-diameter cement-filler tube. The porosity was examined using microcomputed tomography.
RESULTS
The Young's modulus decreased from 919.5 MPa (R) to 701.0 MPa (B2), 693.5 Mpa (B4), and 545.6 MPa (B6). The polymerization temperature decreased from 74.2degrees C (R) to 59.8degrees C (B2), 54.2degrees C (B4) and 47.5degrees C (B6). The setting time decreased from 1,065 seconds (R) to 624 seconds (B2), 678 seconds (B4), and 606 seconds (B6), and the optimal passing-time decreased from 75.6 seconds (R) to 46.6 seconds (B2), 65.0 seconds (B4), and 79.0 seconds (B6). The porosity increased from 4.2% (R) to 27.6% (B2), 27.5% (B4) and 29.5% (B6). A homogenous microstructure with very fine pores was observed in all blood-mixed PMMAs.
CONCLUSIONS
Blood is an excellent filler for PMMA. Group B6 showed more suitable mechanical properties, including a lower elastic modulus due to the higher porosity, less heating and retarded optimal passing-time by the serum barrier, which reduced the level of friction between PMMA and a cement-filler tube.

Keyword

Filler; Bone cement; Vertebroplasty; Osteoporotic verterbral compression fracture

MeSH Terms

Elastic Modulus
Fractures, Compression
Friction
Heating
Hot Temperature
Polymerization
Polymers
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Porosity
Vertebroplasty
Viscosity
X-Ray Microtomography
Polymers
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Full Text Links
  • ASJ
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr