1. ABOUT THE DATASET -------------------- Title: Experimental Data for Comparative Analysis of Mixing and Vacuum Effects on PMMA Bone Cement Creator(s): Harry Barratt[1], Harry Templeman[2], Karthik Nair[2], Gavin Day[1], Anthony Herbert[1] Organisation(s): 1. School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds. 2. Summit Medical Ltd., Cheltenham, UK. Rights-holder(s): Copyright 2026 University of Leeds Publication Year: 2026 Description: This dataset characterizes the structural (porosity, mass) and mechanical (compressive strength, Young's modulus) properties of Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement (PALACOS® MV). The data compares three clinically relevant mixing techniques: Open Bowl, Vacuum Bowl, and Vacuum Cartridge, performed across a range of vacuum levels (0, 250, 550, and 650 mmHg). The dataset includes: - Computed Tomography (micro-CT) data quantifying volumetric porosity and pore distribution. - Mechanical testing data derived from compressive tests to failure. - Specimen mass measurements. - MATLAB code used for processing mechanical load-displacement data. - Visual summaries of CT scan cross-sections. This data supports research into the effects of mixing methodologies on the integrity and longevity of orthopaedic cement fixation. Cite as: Barratt, H., Day, G. and Herbert, A. (2026): Experimental Data for Comparative Analysis of Mixing and Vacuum Effects on PMMA Bone Cement. University of Leeds. [Dataset] https://doi.org/10.5518/1743 Related publication: Barratt, H., Templeman, H., Nair, K., Day, G., & Herbert, A. (2026). Impacts of mixing techniques and vacuum levels on the structural and mechanical properties of PMMA bone cement: A comparative study. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1177/09544119261436611. Contact: Gavin Day (G.Day1@leeds.ac.uk) & Anthony Herbert (A.Herbert@leeds.ac.uk) 2. TERMS OF USE --------------- Copyright 2025 University of Leeds. Unless otherwise stated, this dataset is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. 3. PROJECT AND FUNDING INFORMATION ---------------------------------- Title: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science Summer Internship Scheme Dates: 2024 Funding organisation: School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds Grant no.: N/A This research was funded by the School of Mechanical Engineering through the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science Summer Internship Scheme at the University of Leeds. 4. CONTENTS ----------- File listing 1. All_Data.xlsx Description: Compiled structural and mechanical data for all PMMA specimens, including porosity, mass, compressive strength, and Young's modulus. 2. Mass Data.xlsx Description: Detailed raw weight measurements (5 repeats per specimen) and calculated means used for final analysis. 3. 2_percent_offset_calc.m Description: MATLAB script used to process force-displacement data to calculate Young's modulus and compressive strength (2% offset). 4. CT Scan Images - All Samples.pptx Description: Presentation containing representative volumetric images from micro-CT scans for visual inspection of pore distribution. 5. CT_Scan_Layout_Schematic.png Description: Visual map showing the general arrangement of PMMA bone cement samples within the micro-CT scanner. 6. CT_Scan1_Schematic.png Description: Detailed schematic showing the specific arrangement of Open Bowl and Vacuum Bowl samples during the first micro-CT scan. 7. CT_Scan2_Schematic.png Description: Detailed schematic showing the specific arrangement of Vacuum Cartridge samples during the second micro-CT scan. 8. CT_Scan 1 (Bowl and Open).zip Description: Zipped folder containing raw micro-CT data and DICOM sequences for specimens prepared using Open Bowl and Vacuum Bowl methods. 9. CT_Scan 2 (Cartridge).zip Description: Zipped folder containing raw micro-CT data and DICOM sequences for specimens prepared using the Vacuum Cartridge method. 10. Raw Materials Testing Data.zip Description: Zipped folder containing raw output files (force vs. displacement) from the Instron materials testing machine for all specimens. 5. METHODS ---------- Experimental Procedures: Batches of PALACOS® MV bone cement were prepared using three mixing devices: Open Bowl (Summit Medical B710), Vacuum Bowl (HIVAC™ BOWL B713), and Vacuum Cartridge (HIVAC™ 7 C701). Vacuum levels tested were 0, 250, 550, and 650 mmHg. Cement was moulded into Ø6 mm × 12 mm cylindrical cavities (Delrin® moulds) and cured for 24 hours (ISO 5833:2002 standard). Instruments and Settings: - Mass: Electronic balance (Mettler XP205, METTLER TOLEDO). - Micro-CT: HR-pQCT, XtremeCT (Scanco Medical AG). Settings: 82 μm isotropic voxel size, 900 μA, 60 kVp, 300 ms exposure. - Mechanical Testing: Instron 3366 with 10 kN load cell. Compression rate: 20 mm/min. Data Processing: - Porosity: Analyzed using Simpleware ScanIP (2022, Synopsis). A consistent greyscale threshold was applied to segment cement from pores. Porosity percentage was calculated as pore volume / total sample volume. - Mechanical Properties: Processed using MATLAB (v2023a). Stress-strain data was derived from force-displacement inputs. A custom script (`2_percent_offset_calc.m`) identified the 2% offset yield point for compressive strength and the gradient for Young’s modulus (R² > 0.99). - Statistics: IBM SPSS Statistics 26 used for normality tests (Shapiro-Wilk), group comparisons (Kruskal-Wallace/Mann-Whitney U), and regression analysis.