Article: An autonomically-healed PMMA bone cement: influence of the crystal size of Grubbs| catalyst on fracture toughness and polymerisation rate Journal: International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials (IJNBM) 2009 Vol.2 No.6 pp.494 - 504 Abstract: In this study, it was shown that the concept of autonomic healing of a neat polymeric material, which was introduced by White et al. (2001) could be applied to poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement. The bone cement brand used – Surgical Simplex®P – is one that is widely used in cemented arthroplasties; the healing agent used was 2.0 wt.% dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), encapsulated in poly (urea-formaldehyde) microspheres (diameter = 226 ± 51 μm) and the catalyst used was 0.25 wt.% first-generation Grubbs| catalyst. The microspheres and the catalyst were blended with the cement|s powder in a mortar bowl using a polymeric spatula and the blended powder mixture and the cement|s liquid monomer were mixed under a partial vacuum. Autonomic healing of the cement was demonstrated through a comparison of the values of the plane-strain fracture toughness (KIC) of the control cement (no healing agent or catalyst included in the powder) and the cement in which the powder contained DCPD and Grubbs| catalyst. For the autonomically-healed cement, (KIC) was not significantly influenced by the size of the individual crystals of the Grubbs| catalyst (mean diameter, DG), but the estimated polymerisation rate of the curing cement at 37°C, increased significantly with decrease in DG. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: An autonomically-healed PMMA bone cement: influence of the crystal size of Grubbs' catalyst on fracture toughness and polymerisation rate

Authors: Patrick Biggs, LeRoy Jones II, Gladius Lewis

Addresses: Department of Chemistry and Physics, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL 60628, USA. ' Department of Chemistry and Physics, Chicago State University, Chicago, IL 60628, USA. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA

Abstract: In this study, it was shown that the concept of autonomic healing of a neat polymeric material, which was introduced by White et al. (2001) could be applied to poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement. The bone cement brand used – Surgical Simplex^®P – is one that is widely used in cemented arthroplasties; the healing agent used was 2.0 wt.% dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), encapsulated in poly (urea-formaldehyde) microspheres (diameter = 226 ± 51 μm) and the catalyst used was 0.25 wt.% first-generation Grubbs| catalyst. The microspheres and the catalyst were blended with the cement|s powder in a mortar bowl using a polymeric spatula and the blended powder mixture and the cement|s liquid monomer were mixed under a partial vacuum. Autonomic healing of the cement was demonstrated through a comparison of the values of the plane-strain fracture toughness (K_IC) of the control cement (no healing agent or catalyst included in the powder) and the cement in which the powder contained DCPD and Grubbs| catalyst. For the autonomically-healed cement, (K_IC) was not significantly influenced by the size of the individual crystals of the Grubbs| catalyst (mean diameter, D_G), but the estimated polymerisation rate of the curing cement at 37°C, increased significantly with decrease in D_G.

Keywords: polymethylmethacrylate; PMMA bone cement; joint replacement; autonomic healing; fracture toughness; polymerisation; crystal size; biomaterials.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2009.028339

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2009 Vol.2 No.6, pp.494 - 504

Published online: 16 Sep 2009 *

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Title: An autonomically-healed PMMA bone cement: influence of the crystal size of Grubbs' catalyst on fracture toughness and polymerisation rate

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