Novel Acrylic Bone Cement Containing Graphene Oxide: Synthesis and Characterization

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement is widely used in orthopedics, accounting for approximately 80% of knee joint replacements in the United States. While prosthesis designs and materials have evolved to improve performance and durability, PMMA cement has undergone minimal compositional changes. Carbon-based nanomaterials, particularly graphene oxide (GO), have attracted interest for their ability to enhance the mechanical and thermal properties of orthopedic cements. This study evaluated the effects of incorporating different GO concentrations into PMMA bone cement on its mechanical properties, cytocompatibility, and antibacterial activity. PMMA was modified with GO at 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 weight percent (wt%) for mechanical and antibacterial tests, and at 1.0 wt% for cytocompatibility. Mechanical performance was assessed via four-point bending tests. Cytocompatibility was evaluated using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (NIH/3T3), and antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus using a modified direct contact assay. GO incorporation significantly increased Young's modulus (0.1% and 0.25%, p = 0.009) and improved tensile strength (p = 0.0015) and flexural strength (p = 0.025) at 0.1%. Cytocompatibility remained comparable to the control (p = 0.873). Antibacterial activity was concentration dependent, with 0.25% and 0.5% GO maintaining significant bacterial inhibition up to 48 h, whereas 0.1% showed no sustained effect. Overall, 0.25 wt% GO provided the most suitable balance between mechanical integrity and antibacterial performance, indicating that PMMA-GO bone cements with this composition can combine enhanced mechanical properties with relevant antibacterial activity without compromising biocompatibility, and are therefore promising candidates for orthopedic applications.