DOES VACUUM MIXING OF BONE-CEMENT AFFECT HEAT-GENERATION - ANALYSIS OF 4 CEMENT BRANDS

Four different brands of bone cement (Palaces R, Simplex P, Sulfix, CM W 1) were tested for exothermic changes during polymerization at atmos pheric pressure and under partial vacuum of 0.2 bar. Palacos R was als o mixed at four pressure levels (1.0, 0.2, 0.12, and 0.05 bar). The pe ak temperature in the bone cement was 46 to 124 degrees C, depending o n the measuring point. There was no difference in peak temperature or duration of temperature increase above 50 degrees C during the curing of cement whether mixed at atmospheric pressure or under partial vacuu m at different pressure levels. (C) 1995 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.