The influence of coating technology on the mechanical performance of montmorillonite nanoclay reinforced acrylic bone cement

One of the primary reasons for joint replacement failure is fracture of the bone cement mantle. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of improving the dispersion of montmorillonite nanoclay in acrylic bone cement (by using coating technology) on the mechanical properties of the cured nanocomposite bone cement. Statistically significant improvements were found in the fracture toughness and elastic modulus (p < 0.05) of the coated nanocomposite cement when compared with uncoated nanocomposite cement at a loading of 0.5% nanoclay. Characterisation of the cements demonstrated an improvement in nanoclay dispersion when using coated nanoclays.

Keywords: acrylic bone cement, coatings, montmorillonite nanoclay, surface modification, mechanical properties, material characterisation, nanomaterials, joint replacement, nanocomposites, fracture toughness, elastic modulus