Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) also known as bone cement is a frequently used material for medical applications. This study investigated the material properties of the bone cement Palacos R. Flexural, tensile, and compression tests on Palacos R, following common standard, revealed typical brittle material behaviour with high compression (83 MPa) by rather low tension stress (35 MPa). No significant difference was measured between dry stored and 37 °C saline solution stored specimens regarding tensile, compression and flexural properties. As bone cement can be considered as a viscoelastic material, additional tests under varied strain rates revealed an increasing Young’s modulus and ultimate strength of Palacos R with increasing strain rate. To evaluate long-term load-cycling behaviour an S-N curve was determined. The material parameters of Palacos R may help to predict and evaluate failure of bone cement and improve its medical application.

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