Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Proximal Cadaveric Femur Preparation for Fracture Strength Testing and Quantitative CT-based Finite Element Analysis
Published on: March 11, 2017
PRELIMINARY MECHANICAL TEST OF PROXIMAL FEMUR REINFORCEMENT WITH CEMENTED X-SHAPED PMMA
Anderson Freitas1, Welvis Soares Camargo2, Ruben Jeri Aquino2
1Instituto de Pesquisa e Ensino do Hospital Ortopédico e Medicina Especializada (IPE-HOME), Brasília, DF, Brazil.
Objective:
To evaluate the mechanical behavior of the proximal end of the femur submitted to the X-shaped polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) reinforcement technique.
Methods:
Fifteen synthetic femurs, with a Nacional® density of 10 PCF, were divided into two groups: the DX group, with 5 units that were submitted to PMMA reinforcement, and the DP group, with 10 units, which were evaluated intact. The volume of PMMA required, the maximum load, and the absorbed energy to fracture were analyzed by means of a static mechanical bending test simulating a fall on the greater trochanter.
Results:
A mean of 6 ml of PMMA was used to model the X-reinforcement; it was observed that the DX group presented significantly higher maximum load (median = 1553 N, p = 0.005) and absorbed energy to fracture (median = 9.7 J; p = 0.050) than the DP group (median = 905 N and 6.6 J).
Conclusion:
X-reinforcement of the proximal end of synthetic femurs showed a statistically significant increase in the maximum load and absorbed energy to fracture in the mechanical assay when compared to the control group. Level of Evidence III, Experimental study.
Related Concept Videos
Hydration of Cement
Soundness of Cement
Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus, increasing the frequency of that behavior. For example:
Portland Cement
Fineness of Cement
Direct...
Strength of Cement
For compressive strength tests, ASTM C 109-05 standards prescribe a cement-sand mix ratio of 1:2.75 and a water/cement ratio of 0.485 for making 2-inch cubes. These cubes are mixed, cast, and cured in saturated lime water at 23°C until testing. Flexural strength testing, outlined in...

