The effect of glassy carbon and cancellous bone admixture on performance and thermal properties of acrylic bone cements

Purpose: of the research is to physically modify the composition of bone cements with glassy carbon and cancellous bone to improve its performance, reduce polymerization temperature and reduce the ability of cements the effect of admixture on the phenomenon of relaxation. Design/methodology/approach: SpinePlex bone cement was modified with glassy carbon powder with 20-50 pm granulation with Maxgraft®. Maxgraft cancellous bone has been ground to 20-50 pm grains. Samples of unmodified cements (reference) and modified with glassy carbon and cancellous bone were prepared for the tests. The glassy carbon powder and ground cancellous bone were premixed with the cement copolymer powder, and then the premix prepared this way was spread in a liquid monomer. To delay the polymerization process, all components were cooled before mixing to 15°C. The addition of glassy carbon was 0.4 g and the addition of cancellous bone was 0.2 g per 20 g of cement powder, i.e. about 1.96% by mass. Polymerization temperature, relaxation and differential scanning calorimetry tests were performed on the samples made. Findings: Additives used allow: to reduce the polymerization temperature, as well as rheological properties. During the studies it was found that the additive which can meet the requirements is glassy carbon in form of powder and cancellous bone. Research limitations/implications: The results presented in the publication require further advanced research, which will be the subject of further modification attempts by the research team. Practical implications: The conducted tests showed a significant effect of glassy carbon as a modifier on the mechanical properties of cement after its solidification, but also on the course of the polymerization process. Temperature registration tests during crosslinking, tests of mechanical properties (behaviour of cement samples under load) and DSC differential scanning calorimetry analysis confirmed that the addition of glassy carbon had an effect on each of these aspects. Originality/value: The original in these studies is the possibility to improve fundamental properties of the selected bone cements by using different than commonly used additives.