Cement Allergy: A Case Study

The purpose of this article was to educate nurses about the possibility of patients having an allergic reaction to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Although rare, an allergic reaction to PMMA or the bone cement used to adhere the metal components of a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) to the bone can cause aseptic loosening of a TKA ( S. A. Edwards & J. Gardiner, 2007). The prevalence of PMMA allergies in the population has not been reported in the literature; therefore, no high-level research studies on the subject are available ( K. Kaplan, C. Della Valle, K. Haines, & J. D. Zuckerman, 2002). A case study and literature review was used to construct this article. The patient, L.W., a 61-year-old, white woman, is a nail technician with a history of right knee pain, stiffness, soreness, and a decreased range of motion for one and a half years following a TKA. The complications from a PMMA allergy could be avoided by adding one or two questions to the patient's history and physical form. A complete history could also do away with the need for additional testing and increased medical expenses for the patient and the healthcare system as a whole.