Evaluation of Mechanical Behaviour of Bone Cements by Using Acoustic Emission Technique

Biomaterials such as acrylic bone cements are widely applied in orthopaedic surgery for the fixation of artificial joints. Therefore, the mechanical behavior of such materials under external stresses is of special interest in order to achieve long-term in vivo performance. Fracture process can be attributed to diverse random microscopic damage modes. As the load increases, new damage modes appear and the existing ones can transition into others depending on the nature of the material. However, limitation exists in detailing the understanding of the micromanage initiation and development, and, consequently, in optimizing biomaterials performance. This paper focuses in the study of the emission of acoustic signals from bone cements in order to monitor the evolution of the internal defects that are believed to dominate in vivo failure.