[Long-term stability of glass ionomer cement--method and results]

Glass ionomer cement already has many applications as a filling and fixation material in dentistry, and is now also being considered for use as a bone cement in orthopedics. The reason for this is that the high temperature that develops during polymerization of the PMMA bone cement currently employed, would then be avoided. On the other hand, however, it has the disadvantage of reduced mechanical strength. In order to evaluate the suitability of glass ionomer cement as a bone/implant interface it is necessary to supplement our present knowledge of its static properties by investigating its properties under dynamic loading conditions. This article describes an appropriate test method, the design of the testing set-up, and the results obtained.