What´s Polymethylmethacrylate?

Polymethylmethacrylate, or PMMA for short, is a polymer consisting of the monomer methyl methacrylate that has been around since the 1930s1. PMMA is a polymer that has a high impact strength, is scratch and shatter resistant, and is relatively lightweight1. Because PMMA can also be formed into a transparent thermoplastic and has a glass transitions temperature of 130oC, this polymer served as a glass substitute in its early uses1. Other beneficial characteristics of Polymethylmethacrylate include its high thermal stability, its resistance to light, and its resistance to acidic and basic degradation1. Because of these beneficial physical and chemical properties, PMMA has a wide range of applications in optics, nanotechnology, industry, and medicine1.
The main reasons for this is that PMMA has mechanical similarities to one and it is largely able to withstand the load forces generated in the body3. Although PMMA cement is ideal due to its mechanical properties, it is not bioactive. However, PMMA can still anchor prosthetics to adjacent bone through penetration into the polymer by spongy bone3. The spongy bone enters the polymer and forms a cross-linked section referred to as the bone cement interface. The main limitation in the application of PMMA for this anchorage is that it cannot be utilized in prosthesis adjacent to smooth bone. As a result, much of the current research on PMMA is the addition of other compounds to make it bioactive to broaden its applications in prosthesis anchorage. In a study in conducted by Li et al, nano-hydroxyapatite coated bone collagen was added to PMMA to make it more
As previously stated, PMMA has desirable mechanical properties that are similar to that of human bone. PMMA has the ability to withstand all load forces generated in the human body without fracturing or separating. Because of this, PMMA is an ideal polymer for use in joint replacement surgery and bone treatments such as cranioplasty1. However, PMMA has a serious lack of degradability. Because of its ability to resist load forces and is fracture resistance, PMMA does not readily degrade in the body1. Because of this, the removal of PMMA from the body would require additional surgery. As a result, there is a limitation for the application of PMMA in drug delivery. This limitation of PMMA is not a concern however, when PMMA is utilized in cohort with the implantation of devices and prosthetics. These devices also require additional surgery for removal, so the lack of degradation of PMMA is not deleterious to its utility, and is actually beneficial in many cases. The other main limitation of Polymethylmethacrylate is that it itself is not largely bioactive1. However, as illustrated in the studies presented, PMMA is a polymer with great potential for modification, allowing for the enhancement of the bioactivity of the polymer. Polymethylmethacrylate is still a polymer utilized heavily in medicinal uses as a result of its mechanical properties, and much research is being done to broaden its