Effect of crosslinking agents on acrylic bone cements based on poly(methylmethacrylate).

Three different crosslinking agents were added to the monomer content of the bone cement formulation based on poly(methylmethacrylate), PMMA, in various concentrations, and their effects on the curing parameters and mechanical properties were determined. The different crosslinking agents were dimethacrylates containing a range of chain lengths and degrees of flexibility. For the parent formulation of the bone cement, PMMA powder was used, and the properties and kinetics of curing were compared for the same system with and without crosslinking agents. It was found that at low concentrations of crosslinking agents, the mechanical properties were superior but steadily decreased with increasing concentrations. Poly(ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate), EGDMA(400), even when used at very low concentrations, produced a steady improvement in the mechanical properties and could be used in cement formulations with a view to reducing creep and improving mechanical properties.