Mp. Bigatti et al., IN-VITRO MICRONUCLEUS INDUCTION BY POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE BONE-CEMENT IN CULTURED HUMAN-LYMPHOCYTES, MUTATION RESEARCH, 321(3), 1994, pp. 133-137
Human lymphocytes cultured in vitro were used to assess the ability of
polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), currently used in orthopaedic surgery
as bone cement, to induce micronuclei in binucleated cells. The resul
ts of the study show a significant increase in the micronucleus freque
ncy in treated cultures and therefore the genotoxic effect of PMMA bon
e cement or its ingredients (methyl methacrylate, dimethyl para-toluid
ine and hydroquinone) usually present in self-curing methacrylate bone
cement and released in small quantities after polymerisation. This ef
fect is evident during the stage immediately after the polymerisation
process, and after a certain period of time (5 days in our experimenta
l model).