Abstract: The invention is directed to embolic material comprising spherical, homogeneous and substantially non-porous radiopaque polymer particles based on at least one hydrophilic monomer and at least one radiopaque monomer according to general formula wherein R is H, methyl or ethyl, and R1 is I, Br or wherein R2 is O, NH, O—[CH2—CH2—O]p—C(O)—, O—[CH2]m—O—C(O)—, O—[CH2]p—, NH—[CH2—CH2—O]p—C(O)—, NH—[CH2]m—O—C(O)- or NH—[CH2]p— wherein m>1 and p?1, R3 is I or Br and n is 1, 2 or 3, the iodine and/or bromine content being at least 5 wt. % based on the dry weight of the particle, the said particles having an average particle diameter of at least 10 ?m and being able to imbibe water up to a volume increase of the particle of at least 10%.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an intrinsically radio-opaque two component bone cement, comprising a first component which contains at least one acrylate monomer and a second component which contains at least one initiator for the polymerisation of said acrylate monomer, wherein the at least one iodine containing radio-opacity providing polymer is present in at least one of the two components and wherein the cement, when mixed into a slurry has a viscosity, which is sufficiently low to allow injection of the cement slurry through a needle with a diameter in the range of 10-15 G used in percutaneous vertebroplasty.