Effect of hyaluronic acid on friction of articular cartilage

Abstract eng:
Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid based solutions are gaining popularity as a treatment option for non-operative management of patients with degenerative joint diseases. Although there is a plenty of evidence for lowering of friction in large human joints by exogenous hyaluronic acid, the physical phenomenon standing behind these results has not been clarified yet. This leads to large dispersion in effectiveness and duration in action of viscosupplementation as a treatment for osteoarthritis and; subsequently, to disparity between the view of practitioners and recent procedures questioning or disregarding the efficiency of hyaluronic acid injections. In this study, the changes in friction between intact porcine cartilage and glass plate during reciprocating sliding tests were observed to better understand interaction between hyaluronic acid and synovial fluid components. Contact was lubricated with protein solutions both with and without addition of hyaluronic acid. The effectiveness of proteins and influence of hyaluronic acid on friction are discussed.

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