HYALURONIC ACID – INTRARTICULAR TREATMENT
HYALURONIC ACID – INTRARTICULAR TREATMENT
Hyaluronic acid is the "key" molecule in the biomechanics of the joints. It is a polysaccharide, an anionic, non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan (N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) alternating with D-glucuronic acid and is a substance found in synovial fluid that surrounds joints. It acts as a lubricant to allow the bones to move smoothly over each other and as a shock-absorber system to absorb joint loads.
Patients with osteoarthritis have a lower concentration and volume of hyaluronic acid in their joints than normal joints. In addition, its features are involved in the main function of synovial fluid to serve as a scavenger for free radicals and to regulate cellular activities such as protein binding. In osteoarthritis (OA) and other arthropathies, the reduction in molecular weight of endogenous hyaluronic acid greatly alters the properties of the synovial fluid, causing cartilage damage and worsening OA symptoms.
