Bone cement, also known as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), is widely used in orthopedic and trauma surgery to fix implants. It was first used in the late 1800s but its modern use began in the 1950s when Sir John Charnley used it for total hip arthroplasty. Bone cement is a two-component system consisting of PMMA powder and methyl methacrylate liquid that undergo an exothermic polymerization reaction. It has optimal strength in compression and provides a tight bond between implant and bone, but is brittle. Modern antibiotic-loaded bone cement allows targeted delivery of antibiotics to surgical sites.