What Do You Need to Know About Bone Cement?

 

Bone cement comes in two parts: a powder and a liquid. The powder contains pre-polymerized PMMA, along with other ingredients like contrast agents for X-ray visibility and initiators for hardening. The liquid is primarily methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer, the building block for PMMA.

When these two components are mixed just before surgery, a fascinating chemical reaction called polymerization takes place. The MMA molecules rapidly link together, forming a strong and stable PMMA structure. This process has a specific timeframe - the cement reaches a doughy consistency ideal for application, then gradually hardens to form a solid implant anchor.