Acrylic bone cements.

The article presents a study of acrylic bone cements used in hip repair and the use of mechanical in vitro testing as a means of predicting the long-term clinical performance of such cements. Cements aged for up to 5 years in different media were subjected to in vitro quasistatic testing at various temperatures. Dynamic creep testing, testing of retrieved cement samples, and testing under wet and dry conditions also were conducted. Materials, methods, and results are discussed.