Fracture processes in acrylic bone cement containing barium sulphate dispersions

This paper describes the effects of dispersions of barium sulphate (BaSO4) particles on crack nucleation and growth in a commercially available surgical acrylic bone cement. A simple model is presented which is based on the nucleation and growth of voids around each BaSO4 particle. The model assumes that the local stress at a particle depends on the strain applied to the material, whereas the overall stress on the system depends on the volume fraction of particles. The effects of saline solution and blood serum on crack propagation are described.