Injectable bioactive polymethyl methacrylate-hydrogel hybrid bone cement loaded with BMP-2 to improve osteogenesis for percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty

Poly methyl methacrylate(PMMA)bone cement is used in augmenting and stabilizing fractured vertebral bodies through percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP)and percutaneous kyphoplasty(PKP).However,applications of PMMA bone cement are limited by the high elasticity modulus of PMMA,its low biodegradability,and its limited ability to regenerate bone.To improve PMMA bio activity and biodegradability and to modify its elasticity modulus,we mixed PMMA bone cement with oxidized hyaluronic acid and carboxymethyl chitosan in situ cross-linking hydrogel loaded with bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP-2)to achieve novel hybrid cement.These fabric ated PMMA-hydrogel hybrid cements exhibited lower setting temperatures,a lower elasticity modulus,and better biodegradability and biocompatibility than that of pure PMMA cement,while retaining acceptable setting times,mechanical strength,and inj ectability.In addition,we detected release of BMP-2 from the PMMA-hydrogel hybrid cements,significantly enhancing in vitro osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by up-regulating the gene expression of Runx2,Coll,and OPN.Use of PMMA-hydrogel hybrid cements loaded with BMP-2 on rabbit femoral condyle bone-defect models revealed their biodegradability and enhanced bone formation.Our study demonstrated the favorable mechanical properties,biocompatibility,and biodegradability of fabricated PMMA-hydrogel hybrid cements loaded with BMP-2,as well as their ability to improve osteogenesis,making them a promising material for use in PKP and PVP.

Measurement of Secondary Electron Energy Spectra of Polymethyl Methacrylate

We report on a novel and convenient method of measuring secondary electron spectra for insulators in a secondary electron yield measurement system with a planar grid analyzer configuration and a metal mesh probe. In this measurement, the planar grid is negatively biased to force some emitted secondary electrons to return to the sample surface and to neutralize charges accumulated on the sample during the previous beam irradiation. The surface potential of the sample is then measured by use of a metal mesh probe. The grid bias for neutralization corresponding to the zero surface potential is determined based on the linear relationship between the surface potential and the grid bias. Once the surface potential equals zero, the secondary electron spectra of polymethyl methacrylate（PMMA） are studied experimentally by measuring the -curve and then fitting it to Everhart＇s formula. The measurement results show that the peak energy and the full width at half maximum of the spectra are 4.26 eV and 14.06 eV, respectively.

A Novel Method for Preparing Approximately Micron-sized Polymethyl Methacrylate Microspheres with Clear Surface

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres with clear surface and diameter close to 1 祄 were synthesized by newly soap-free emulsion polymerization. The results showed that the presence of ethanol and NaCl made the increase of diameter and distribution, while the presence of toluene could avoid the problem of the increase of distribution, resulting a harvest of PMMA microspheres with a diameter close to 1 祄.

Preparation and Fluorescence Properties of Polymethyl Methacrylate Resin Incorporated with Sodium Tris (Pyridine Dicarboxylato) Europate

Based on the strong fluorescence and the highly thermal stability of sodium tris (pyridine dicarboxylato) europate (Na 3Eu(DPA) 3), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composite material incorporated with the complex, PMMA: Na 3Eu(DPA) 3, was prepared at 250 ℃. The fluorescence behavior of PMMA: Na 3Eu(DPA) 3 material was examined. The results show that the composite material keeps the luminescent characteristics of the Eu 3+ chelate after PMMA is incorporated with Na 3Eu(DPA) 3, and strong orange-red emission of the composite was observed. The fluorescence intensity of the composite material increases with the increase of the weight ratio of Na 3Eu(DPA) 3 to PMMA, but the relationship is not linear.

A Novel Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)-TiO_2 Nanocomposite and Its Thermal and Photic Stability

A new kind of polymethyl methacrylate （PMMA）-TiO2 nanocomposite was synthesized through polymerization. The thermal and photic stability of this PMMA TiO2 nanocomposites were investigated. The as prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, UV-Vis spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis （DTA） and the photo-induced weight loss, The results show that the photostability of the PMMA-TiO2 nanocomposite is higher than that of the pure PMMA under UV-light irradiation, The weight loss of the pure PMMA reaches 30 % after 300 h UVirradiation, while the composite only 0.3% under the identical experimental condition. The glass transition temperature （TR） of pure PMMA is only 80℃, while the Tg of the composite reaches 258℃. Compared with pure PMMA, the thermal stability of the composite is greatly enhanced.

Effect of local massage on prevention and treatment of intra-arterial polymethyl methacrylate embolism complications:An experimental animal study

Background:Massage is generally believed to be a simple and effective method for preventing necrosis when intravascular injection emboli are suspected.Due to its good dispersive properties,polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA)was used as the test filler.The main purpose of this study was to observe whether local massage as a simple remedial measure can promote the diffusion of filler and reduce the necrosis rate for intra-arterial embolism.Methods:Rabbit ears with the central ear artery(CEA)main trunk totally or segmentally obstructed 5 min after PMMA injection were studied.In order to simulate the massage effect of the fingers,the massage group was treated with a small beauty massage bar with a fixed vibration frequency along the direction of the blood flow.CEA blood flow and skin lesions were also analyzed.Results:The baseline data were similar between the control and massage groups.Compared to the control group,the recanalization rate of the CEA trunk in the treatment group increased significantly after massage.However,there was no significant difference in the visible rate of transparent embolus on the 1st day after treatment,nor in the necrosis degree or area of soft tissue damage on the 7th day after treatment.Further analysis showed that massage tended to have a positive effect on segmentally obstructed cases at 5 min after injection but a negative effect on totally obstructed ears at 5 min.Conclusion:Local massage cannot reduce the complications of tissue necrosis after intra-arterial PMMA injection.Prevention is key to reducing complications.

Force-Induced Enhancement of Hydrophilicity of Individual Polymethyl Methacrylate Chain

Comprehensive Summary,Polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA)has been widely applied in diverse fields such as medicine and engineering materials due to its good hydrophilicity and biocompatibility.However,another term for PMMA,Plexiglas,means that it is water insoluble.These features of PMMA are valuable but seem paradoxical.To explore the underlying mechanism of the paradoxical properties,the interactions between PMMA and water have been investigated by atomic force microscopy(AFM)-based single-molecule force spectroscopy(SMFS).The single-chain elasticity of PMMA obtained in aqueous solutions is significantly different from that obtained in non-aqueous environments,implying that PMMA can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules.

Optical properties and Judd-Ofelt analysis of Nd2O3 nanocrystals embedded in polymethyl methacrylate

PMMA matrices were doped with nano-crystalline neodymium oxides synthesized by thermal decomposition process. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements were carried out to investigate the structure, phase, and the morphology of the Nd_2O_3 nanocrystals and those embedded in the PMMA matrix. The average grain sizes were estimated 35 ± 6 nm and 46 ± 4 nm for non-annealed and annealed Nd_2O_3 particles, respectively. The grain size distributions（GSD） were calculated from the diffraction peaks of the annealed and non-annealed Nd_2O_3 powders and doped PMMA samples. The mass density, refractive index. UV-Visible absorption spectra were measured and the data were analyzed using the Judd-Ofelt approach to determine the oscillator strengths, the spontaneous emission probabilities and the branching ratios as a function of the nano-crystalline Nd_2O_3 content in the range of 0.1 wt.%-20 wt.% of MMA. Luminescence spectra upon 808 nm diode laser excitation were carried out in the wavelength range of 850-1550 nm at room temperature. The photoluminescence study has shown that the reasonably sharp emission peaks were observed upon heat treatment at 800 ℃ for 24 h for all concentrations of Nd_2O_3 nanopowders in PMMA. The infrared laser transition of Nd^（3＋） ions at about 1.06 μm due to the ~4F_（3/2）→~4I_（11/2） transition was analyzed and discussed in Nd_2O_3 system for their possible applications in the photonic technology.

Novel reparation method for polymethyl methacrylate optical windows of aircrafts damaged by service environment

The optical properties of polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA)with varying degrees of artificial scratches have been studied with the aim of reproducing the change of visibility of an aircraft’s PMMA optical windows after being damaged in their service environment.A novel maintenance method that can perfectly restore the optical property of PMMA has been identified and employed in the repair of the scratches that are formed on the surface of PMMA.This convenient and low-cost method entails polishing PMMA with different types of sandpaper to remove the scratches,and then spin-coating the repair solution in order to restore the optical properties of PMMA.The effect of this repair mechanism and parameters of the repair process were studied.The results indicated that the optical performance of PMMA is closely related to the mesh size of sandpaper,and improper parameter selection destroys the general effect of the repair.When the number of sandpaper mesh is low,the size of the abrasive particle is relatively larger,which can cause deeper friction marks on the surface of PMMA optical windows.Surface treatment using 5000 mesh sandpaper lowers surface roughness(R——a=0.566 nm),and optical transmittance in visible range can be restored to more than 88%.

Polymethyl Methacrylate-Collagen-Magnesium Hydroxyapatite Bone Cement Preparation for Orthopedic Application

In this research,bone cement was prepared by mixing 2 g of magnesium hydroxyapatite(laboratory synthesized),12 g of polymethyl methacrylate,4 g of methyl methacrylate,and collagen(1,3,and 6 g).The samples were molded in a circular shape.They were inspected by visual microscopy,FTIR,XRD,and FESEM.They were engrossed in synthesized simulated body fluid for 1 month and then inspected by visual microscopy,FTIR,XRD,and FESEM.The samples prepared from 6 g of collagen showed the highest hydroxyapatite formation(high osseointegration)than the other samples.

AN EPOXY/(METHYL METHACRYLATE)INTERPENETRATING POLYMER NETWORK FOR NONLINEAR OPTICS

An interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) consisting of an epoxy-based polymer network and a polymethyl methacrylate network were synthesized and characterized. The IPN showed only one T-g, and hence a homogeneous-phase morphology was suggested. The second-order nonlinear optical coefficient (d(33)) of the IPN was measured to be 1.72 X 10(-7) esu. The study of NLO temporal stability at room temperature and elevated temperature (100 degrees C) indicated that the IPN exhibits a high stability in the dipole orientation due to the permanent entanglements of two component networks in the IPN system. Long-term stability of second harmonic coefficients was observed at room temperature for more than 1000 h.

STUDY ON FLUORESCENCE BEHAVIOUR OF EU^(3+) CONTAINING POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)

Fluorimetry has been used to characterize ionomers synthesized by copolymerization ofmethyl mehacrylate, methacrylic acid and europium methacrylate (EMA). Under excita-tion of UV light at 375 nm no seif-quenching was found in fluorescence of EMA containingionomers at 615nm within the concentration range of 1.6×10^(-2) to 11.49×10^(-2) mol%.This means that the distance between two Eu^(3+) ions is larger than 5nm. In the sameconcentration range seif-quenching took place in europium octanoate (EOA) containingpoly(methyl methacrylate) in which EOA was doped as an additive.

Fabrication and Characterization of PMMA/MWCNTs Composite Materials

In order to improve the mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA),multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)were used as reinforcement through in situ polymerization method to prepare PMMA/MWCNTs composites by changing the reaction time,polymerization temperature and the content of MWCNTs.The effects of different reaction conditions on the properties of the composites were studied.The results show that the mechanical properties,thermal/electrical conductivity and thermal stability of the composites are improved compared with the PMMA matrix.The tensile strength of the composites is increased by up to 24%.The bending strength of the composite material increases from20.41 to 68.04 MPa,and the maximum increase is 233%.Meanwhile,when the content of MWCNTs is 3 wt%,the thermal conductivity of the composite is 0.335 W/(m·K),which increases by138%,and the electrical conductivity is 3.94 S/m.The thermal stability of the composite has been significantly enhanced.The modified PMMA will be widely used in medicine,communications,electronics and other fields.

Influences of IL-6R Antibody on PMMA Bone Cement-mediated Expression of OPG and RANKL in Synovial Fibroblasts

Effect of interleukin-6 receptor （IL-6R） antibody on polymethyl methacrylate （PMMA） bone cement-mediated expression of osteoprotegerin （OPG） and ：receptor activator of nuclear fac- tor-kappaB ligand （RANKL） in synovial fibroblasts was investigated. Synovial tissue obtained from to- tal knee arthroplasty was digested and cultured. Inverted microscope was employed to observe the synovial cells and immunocytochemistry （SABC method） staining was used to identify synovial fibro- blasts. This experiment was divided into three groups according to different culture media： PMMA group （75μg/mL PMMA bone cement particles）, IL-6R antibody group （10 ng/mL IL-6R antibody＋75 μg/mL PMMA bone cement particles）, and control group （no IL-6R antibody or PMMA bone cement particles）. Influence of IL-6R antibody and PMMA on proliferation of synovial fibroblasts was meas- ured by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8）. ELISA method was used to measure OPG and RANKL levels in culture solution. Fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR （FQ-PCR） was used to detect the expression of OPG and RANKL mRNA. After three consecutive passages, more than 95% of the primary synovial cells became long spindle fibroblast-like cells. SABC staining results showed that the fibroblast-like cells were negative for anti-CD68 antibody and positive for anti-vimentin antibody, with brown madder stained. CCK-8 test demonstrated that the absorbance （A） value at 450 nm was significantly lower in IL-6R antibody group than in PMMA group and control group （P〈0.01）, but there was no statistically significant difference in A value at 450 nm between the control group and PMMA group （P〉0.05）. Re- suits of ELISA indicated that the expression of OPG was significantly higher in IL-6R antibody group than in PMMA group and control group （P〈0.01）. The expression of RANKL was inhibited （P〈0.05）, and the ratio of OPG/RANKL was significantly increased in IL-6R antibody group as compared with PMMA group and control group. There was no significant difference in the expression of OPG between control group and PMMA group （P〉0.05）, but the expression of RANKL was higher in PMMA group than in control group （P〈0.05）, and there was a significant difference in the ratio of OPG/RANKL be- tween them （P〈0.05）. Results of FQ-PCR revealed the expression of RANKL mRNA was significantly inhibited （P〈0.01） and the expression of OPG mRNA was significantly increased （P〈0.01） in IL-6R an- tibody group as compared with PMMA group and control group. The expression of RANKL mRNA was higher in PMMA group than in control group （P〈0.05）, but the expression of OPG mRNA had no sig- nificant difference between them （P〉0.05）. IL-6R antibody could significantly increase the expression of OPC~ but inhibit the expression of RANKL, which might provide a theoretical basis of molecular bi- ology for the prevention and treatment of aseptic loosening of prosthesis.

Residual stress measurement for injection molded components

Residual stress induced during manufacturing of injection molded components such as polymethyl methacrylate （PMMA） affects the mechanical and optical properties of these components. These residual stresses can be visualized and quantified by measuring their birefringence. In this paper, a low birefringence polariscope （LBP） is used to measure the whole-field residual stress distribution of these injection molded specimens. Detailed analytical and experimental study is conducted to quantify the residual stress measurement in these materials. A commercial birefringence measurement system was used to validate the results obtained to our measurement system. This study can help in material diagnosis for quality and manufacturing purpose and be useful for understanding of residual stress in imaging or other anolications.

Compound-mode crack propagation law of PMMA semicirculararch roadway specimens under impact loading

An underground roadway usually contains defects of various types,and when the roadway is subjected to external loading,the locations of those defects influence the roadway by differing degrees.In this study,to study how the locations of defects affect crack propagation in a roadway,specimens with tunnel-type voids were made using polymethyl methacrylate,and the stress wave produced by a bullet impacting an incident rod was used as the impact load.Meanwhile,the variations in crack speed,displacement,and dynamic stress intensity factor during crack propagation were obtained using an experimental system of digital laser dynamic caustics,and the commercial software ABAQUS was used for numerical simulations.From the experiments and numerical simulations,the crack propagation path was verified and the impact fracture behavior of a semicircular-arch roadway with different defect positions was presented.The results show that when the pre-fabricated crack is on the central axis of the sample,the crack propagation is purely mode I;when the pre-fabricated crack is 5 mm from the central axis,the crack propagation alternates between mode I and a mixture of modes I and II;when the pre-fabricated crack is at the edge of the semicircular-arch roadway,the crack propagation follows the I-II mixed mode.

Enhanced laser characteristics of pyrromethene 650 using modified PMMA as solid hosts

Solid-state samples based on modified polymethyl methacrylate （MPMMA） with methanol doped with the dye pyrromethene 650 （PM650） axe prepared. The effects of a volume percentage of methanol on the laser characteristics of the sample, including spectra properties, slope efficiency, photostability and tunable properties, are investigated. The broadband dye laser output wavelength is around 655 nm and a highest slope efficiency of 32.23% is achieved. Pumping the samples at a repetition rate of 5 Hz with a pulse energy of as high as 100 mJ （the fluence is 0.26 J/cm2）, the longest lifetime （168000 shots） is obtained in the sample （MMA：methanol=18：2）, and the corresponding normalized photostability reaches 109.19 GJ/mol. When the sample （MMA：methanol=18：2） is placed in a Shoshan-type oscilla- tor, the naxrow-linewidth operation is a continuous tuning range （up to 64 nm）. The results indicate that the laser characteristics of solid-state dyes can be greatly enhanced by using modified PMMA with methanol serving as the solid host.

Experiments of Applying the Rare-Earth Modifying Agents in New Dental Materials Preparation

Harmless rare-earth modifying agents were prepared by orthogonal experiments. A new resin material was synthesized with the qualities such as rigidity, rubbing abrasion, aging, luster and plasticity better than the dental resin materials in common used. It could be used as the substitutes for the applied resin teeth materials.

Intracardiac,pulmonary cement embolism in a 67-year-old female after cement-augmented pedicle screw instrumentation:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND We report a case of Intracardiac,pulmonary,and intravenous cement embolism after cement-augmented pedicle screw instrumentation in treating spondylolisthesis underlying osteoporotic bone,which was successfully managed by conservative treatment.We describe the treatment and outcome of the patient,hoping to shed light on the management of bone cement embolism.CASE SUMMARY A 67-year-old female suffered from progressive low back pain and numbness in lower extremities for 30 years.She was diagnosed with L4 and L5 spondylolisthesis,spinal stenosis,and osteoporosis.The patient underwent spinal canal decompression,an interbody fusion of L4/5 and L5/S1,cement-augmented pedicle screw instrumentation in L4-L5 segments,and regular pedicle screw in S1 segments.Three days postoperatively,a sudden drop in oxygen saturation occurred.Computerized tomography scan confirmed Intracardiac,pulmonary,and intravenous embolism.The patient was treated conservatively by continuous low-flow oxygen inhalation,anti-coagulation,and antibiotic therapy for 1 mo and continued anticoagulation treatment for 6 mo.The patient showed no further symptoms in a 30-mo follow-up.CONCLUSION Intracardiac,pulmonary cement embolism after cement-augmented pedicle screw instrumentation is extremely rare.Careful clinical and radiographic evaluation is required in multiple sites of bone cement embolism.Conservative treatment may be a primary consideration in scattered emboli without life-threatening conditions,but a clinical decision should be made on an individualized basis.

The Flexural Behavior of Denture Base Reinforced by Different Contents of Ultrahigh-Modulus Polyethylene Fiber

Denture base made from acrylic resin (polymethyl methacrylate,PMMA) was reinforced by different contents of ultrahigh modulus polyethylene fiber (UHMPEF).The flexural strength of the denture base was tested,the failure modes and microstructures were investigated with a scanning electron microscope(SEM).The results indicate that 3.5wt%UHMPEF increased the ultimate flexural strength of the denture base.