Characterisation and modelling rheological properties of acrylic bone cement during application

Acrylic bone cement is the most common biomaterial used in vertebral bone augmentation. The complex mechanical behaviour of this material implicates a careful handling during clinical interventions which are quite frequently accompanied with potential complications. To contribute to a more detailed understanding of the flow behaviour inside the human body, this study deals with the experimental characterisation and phenomenological modelling of the rheological properties of acrylic bone cements. Rotational and capillary rheometric measurements were carried out to investigate the time, temperature and shear rate dependent flow behaviour of acrylic bone cement. Based on these measurements a mathematical model is proposed that can describe all of the observed phenomena. Such models can be implemented in computational fluid dynamics codes to explore the flow behaviour of bone cement through more complex geometries like human vertebral bodies.

► Rotational and capillary measurements show shear thinning behaviour, temperature dependence and process dependent effects.
► Phenomenological modelling is developed according to the measured effects.
► Parameter identification of the developed model.
► Parameterised model covers all material effects detected in rheological measurements.