Does vacuum mixing of bone cement affect heat generation? Analysis of four cement brands.

Four different brands of bone cement (Palacos R, Simplex P, Sulfix, CMW 1) were tested for exothermic changes during polymerization at atmospheric pressure and under partial vacuum of 0.2 bar. Palacos R was also mixed at four pressure levels (1.0, 0.2, 0.12, and 0.05 bar). The peak temperature in the bone cement was 46 to 124 degrees C, depending on the measuring point. There was no difference in peak temperature or duration of temperature increase above 50 degrees C during the curing of cement whether mixed at atmospheric pressure or under partial vacuum at different pressure levels.