Stiffness and inelastic deformation in acrylictitanium composite implant materials under compression.

A variety of acrylic bone cement-metal composite materials were prepared and tested in simple compression at 37 degrees C in order to evaluate the mechanical behavior of these materials for possible use in bone replacement. The stiffness of the composite was of particular concern, and a simple rule of mixture was used to raise the modulus of acrylic bone cement. The reinforcement of the cement was accomplished by titanium and Ti-6Al-4V in different forms, e.g., wire, sheet, wire mesh, and powder. Test results demonstrated that the stiffness of the bone cement could indeed be increased by a desired amount to that of bone. A 16% volume fraction consisting of 25 0.10 cm diam Ti-6Al-4V wires increased the modulus of the bone cement by 380% to a value comparable to the modulus of cortical bone. Titanium sheet was nearly as effective as wires in increasing the modulus of bone cement, while titanium mesh was not a significantly effective reinforcing material. The amount of titanium powder added to the bone cement did not alter the compliance of the matrix material. In addition, as the flow strength increased, the strain to the point of load instability decreased. It was concluded that the extent of stiffening was governed by nonuniform deformation in the metal and the adjacent matrix which could be explained on the basis of geometrical considerations. Some of the limitations of the test results as well as methods of predicting the composite implant material behavior are also outlined.