History of Bone Cements
- 1943
Patent granted to Heraeus for the first cold-curing bone cement - 1949
Rapid Paladon and Rapid Palapont were patented. - 1951
The surgeon Kiaer was the first to use PMMA for attaching a cap-shaped surface replacement to a femoral head - 1958
First implantation of a total hip endoprosthesis, designed by Sir John Charnley, using "acrylic cement" (PMMA; excellent service life) - 1959
First approval of the first bone cement in Germany, PALACOS® - 1971
Heraeus is the market leader in Germany and Scandinavia with 3 tonnes of PALACOS® a year sold through its own distributors - 1972
Extension of the Heraeus product range to include a bone cement containing an antibiotic: Refobacin® PALACOS® - 1972
When the German Medicinal Products Act came into force, Heraeus, the manufacturer responsible for PALACOS® and Refobacin® PALACOS®, granted the registration and distribution rights to two companies, Merck in Germany and Austria, and, as of 1974, the Schering Plough company in all other countries. The manufacturing rights for PALACOS® with and without gentamicin have always remained with Heraeus. - 2002
These contracts were dissolved by the new EU cartel legislation. - 2004
Heraeus established a subsidiary, Heraeus Medical, in order to market the successful PALACOS® products itself. - 1976 – now
Swedish and Norwegian hip registers: long-term trials prove excellent service life for PALACOS® R and PALACOS® R+G (with gentamicin). Over 90% of hip implantations in Germany have been performed with PALACOS® products. PALACOS® is regarded as the golden standard.
