The acute chemical trauma of bone cement was investigated in the rabbit
tibia. With the experimental model used, the surgical trauma and the
thermal effects of the cement could be minimized. Each animal received one
implant of polymerized cement as a control and one implant of polymerizing
dough as the test material. The animals were observed for up to seventy
days and the specimens were then studied by various techniques of
histology, microangiography, fluorochrome labeling, and microradiography.
With this experimental method the monomer trauma did not add to the
minimized surgical trauma. Moreover, no detectable influence on bone
regeneration was noted. In view of this minor effect, we suggest that the
surgical preparation of the implant bed and the very procedure of inserting
bone cement are more important for the acute tissue trauma than is monomer
leakage alone.