[Influence of vacuum mixing on mechanical properties of homemade bone cement].

Porosity, density and rotating bar bending fatigue life of homemade bone cement are analyzed with scanning electron microscopy for two different mixing techniques: manually vacuum mixing and manually non-vacuum mixing. By vacuum mixing the rotating bar bending fatigue life is increased from 0.98 x 10(4) +/- 0.31 x 10(4) to 1.33 x 10(4) +/- 0.17 x 10(4) (P < 0.05), density increased from 1.0638 +/- 0.0005g/cm3 to 1.1024 +/- 0.0068g/cm3 (P < 0.05), porosity reduced from 10.35% +/- 2.33% to 5.83% +/- 1.74% (P < 0.05), and incidence rate of big air inclusion reduced from 5.93% to 0.9%. We believe, vacuum mixing technique of bone cement should be recommended as a routine procedure to prevent aseptic loosening of prosthesis after total joint arthroplasty.