Effects of hydroxyapatite on PMMA-HAp cement for biomedical applications.

Objective: The main goal of this study was to examine the influence of hydroxyapatite (HAp) macroaggreate concentrations on thermal and mechanical properties of radioactive bone cement and to study the relation of glass transition Tg with its mechanical properties.
Methods: The bone cement as (1-x)PMMA-xHAp binary system was prepared in six [x] distinct concentration parameters of 0.0 up to 0.5. The HAp was synthesized using a solgel procedure following calcination by thermal treatment. The composite was prepared in cold based (non-radioactive) mixing polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and HAp. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and mechanical compressive strength (CS) were used to measure the thermal and mechanical properties.
Results: The DSC and TGA thermal profiles in function to concentration parameter [x] were presented. The CS lies in a range of 3.71-7.37 MPa and the glass transition temperature Tg = 126.27 °C. There was a direct relationship between the PMMA-HAp thermoplastic properties with mechanical and thermal properties in function of HAp concentrations.
Conclusion: The specific PMMA-HAp composite, with a concentration ratio of 1:1 and HAp thermal treatment at the Tg, provides a material with a compression strength of 7.37 MPa and a suitable amount of porous similar to a trabecular bone, possible to apply in bone cement implants, regardless of whether they are radioactive or not.