Dependence of curing time, peak temperature, and mechanical properties on the composition of bone cement

Commercial bone cements usually contain hydroquinone as the polymerization inhibitor and N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine as the accelerator in the benzoyl peroxide-initiated redox polymerization. The former compounds have certain shortcomings in their biocompatibility profile. Measurements of the setting times, polymerization exotherms, and postpolymerization strengths of the cured monomer-polymer compositions show that the hydroquinone can be replaced by food grade di-tert-butyl-p-cresol (BHT). The more reactive 4-N,N-(dimethylamino)phenethanol can replace 4-N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine, yielding cements with shorter setting times and increased strengths. Excessive heat liberated on polymerization can be reduced by partial substitution of higher-molecular-weight methacrylates, e.g., dicyclopentenyloxyethyl methacrylate for methyl methacrylate, but there is a decrease in strength of the resulting polymer. More successful has been the addition to the monomer of 1% or 2% of the chain transfer agent pentaerythritol tetra(3-mercaptopropionate), which lowers the peak temperature without changing the physical properties of the cement. Compositions with short curing times, lower exotherms, and mechanical properties that exceed those of a commercial material have been formulated.