Bioactive bone cements

Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement, used to fix implants into the bone, produces good surgical results if used correctly. However, prostheses do eventually become loose and the breakdown of the cement mantle is a factor in this failure. Limitations of PMMA cement, which lead to problems with the fixation of the implant, include its mechanical characteristics and its influence upon surrounding bone, associated with the polymerization reaction. A bioactive bone cement is particularly designed to produce a better interface between the cement and bone. However, an improvement in mechanical properties, especially fatigue, creep and fracture toughness, are an added necessary requirement to increase the lifetime of a cemented implant. The development of a bioactive cement has been conducted mainly in two ways; firstly, to improve existing PMMA cement by the addition of various bioactive agents and secondly, to design an alternative matrix for the bioactive material to be combined with. The most promising investigations which have been conducted, along with their relative benefits and drawbacks, are discussed.