Hypersensitivity to polymethylmethacrylate following shoulder hemiarthroplasty

Acrylic resins have been used for many years in several health-related applications due to their ease of use, favorable material properties, and relative cost. Cements containing polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), in particular, have been widely accepted for use in orthopedic surgery, as well as in other fields of medicine. Although relatively rare, the potential for acrylic resins such as PMMA to induce hypersensitivity reactions via cutaneous or mucosal exposures has been reported; however, comparatively few cases have been described of patients reacting adversely to acrylic resins used as permanent cements during surgical procedures. This article reports a hypersensitivity reaction to PMMA cement applied in a right shoulder hemiarthroplasty, which initially presented as a possible postoperative infection. It is believed to be the first case in the literature of such a reaction occurring in an upper extremity prosthesis.