Advancing, Together with PALACOS^® R+G

Heraeus (Kulzer) and Degussa patent a process for ‘cold curing’ a PMMA cement mixture at room temperature. This discovery lays the foundation for the chemical processes still used today.

The surgeon Sven Kiaer uses cold-curing PMMA as a pure anchoring material for the first time. The process involves anchoring acrylic glass caps on the femoral head after cartilage is removed.

British orthopedic surgeon Sir John Charnley anchors a total hip endoprosthesis for the first time using cold-curing PMMA. Charnley refers to this as ‘acrylic-based bone cement’. Early studies show excellent tissue tolerance and implant survival of up to 30 years.

Heraeus (Kulzer) introduces Germany’s first bone cement. The company manufactures it in-house according to its own formula. The PALACOS^® success story begins, with a market share of over 80% by the end of the 1960s. The formula with the green colorant, which is based on chlorophyll, is still in use today.

Prof. Hans-Wilhelm Buchholz writes to Heraeus (Kulzer), saying the following: “If it were possible to impregnate Palacos with individual antibiotics … it would be extremely significant from a clinical perspective”. There is also the question of whether it might be possible to release an active substance from the cement matrix. Sir John Charnley is sceptical: “My dear Buchholz, nothing leaks out of a stone.” However, adding gentamicin sulphate to PALACOS^® R yields promising results, with fewer infections arising following a joint replacement. 
 

To this day, Heraeus (Kulzer) still manufactures and holds the rights to PALACOS^® with and without gentamicin. With the German Drug Law coming into force and without the necessary authorisation to produce pharmaceuticals (the company is registered as a dental firm) at this time, Heraeus (Kulzer) entrusts the authorization and distribution of PALACOS^® and Refobacin^® PALACOS^® R (today PALACOS^® R+G) to two companies: Merck and Schering Plough.

Long-term studies show that the antibacterial efficacy of PALACOS^® R+G helps to reduce periprosthetic infections in the long term.³

Heraeus Medical is founded as a subsidiary of Heraeus (Kulzer). As well as continuing with the development and manufacture of its proven PALACOS^® bone cements, the company also begins selling its own products.

Mixing under vacuum reduces porosity and strengthens the bond between bone cement and prosthesis. PALAMIX^® enables bone cements like PALACOS^® R+G to be mixed in a reproducibly high quality.

PALACOS^® R+G pro is launched. The closed All-in-One Fixation System^TM is a combination of the gold standard PALACOS^® R+G and a vacuum mixing and application system. This enables bone cement components to be handled safely and without contact.

Cement quality has been shown to be a key for factor long-term implant survival.¹ PALACOS^® is the most studied bone cement and leads in clinical evidence.²

PALACOS^® has been used in arthroplasty for 60 years and is available in over 90 countries around the world.

PALACOS^® has been used in over 34 million procedures to date.

We are celebrating 50 years of PALACOS^® R+G. We would like to say thank you to all who have contributed to this success, those who have helped to develop, produce, optimize and use PALACOS^® R+G.