Genotoxicity of acrylic bone cements.

The genotoxicity of conventional polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and a new formulation of bone cement: methylmethacrylate/n-decylmethacrylate/isobornylmethacrylate (MMA/DMA/IBMA) were tested by micronucleus test and reverse mutation assays of Salmonella typhimurium (Ames test). In extracts from cement pellets (37 degrees, 72 hr) with water and water/ethanol the concentration of MMA was reduced by 13-19 times with the new formulation and the concentrations of accelerators were reduced by 4-5 times. New chemical constituents (DMA, IBMA, dihydroxy-propyl-p-toluidine) were found in negligible concentrations. In the micronucleus test all three cement brands were found non-mutagenic and in the Ames test scattered increased revertant ratios were found without differences between the three brands. The new formulation does not possess any increased risk of genotoxicity.