Temperature and ageing condition effects on the characterization of acrylic bone cement

This study investigates the effect of the environmental temperature and age ing condition on the characterization of acrylic bone cement. The tests wer e performed according to ISO 5833. The testing parameters were allowed to v ary within the limits defined by the standard, in order to assess their eff ect on the results of the test. In certain cases the tests were also perfor med under conditions which the standard does not provide for but which are likely to occur clinically. This investigation showed that the cement behaviour may also change in the temperature range specified in the standard. Therefore, it is deemed approp riate to correlate the curing parameters of the bone cement to the environm ental temperature. performing the test at different temperatures. In this w ay the effect of temperature on the duration of the phases in the cement cu ring could be assessed. The resultant graphical representation of the effec t of temperature on the duration of the phases in cement curing has direct clinical relevance. Furthermore, this study showed that the ageing conditio ns of the mechanically tested specimens affected the results. Hence, it is deemed advisable to modify the ageing conditions of the specimens, fixing t hem closer to the in in vivo conditions.