Sodium Hyaluronate is an important component of synovial fluid and provides it with its lubricating properties. It also acts as a shock absorber during movement such as walking down the staircase.
Sodium Hyaluronate is injected intra-articularly into the synovial cavity of a joint.
What is viscosupplementation?
The joints of people with osteoarthritis or other degenerative joint diseases are different in several ways from those of healthy people. They contain less synovial fluid (the oily liquid which lubricates joints), and that fluid is thinner and therefore less able to lubricate nicely.
Viscosupplementation entails the supplementation of the defective matrix of the joint with material of high viscosity and elasticity, namely Sodium Hyaluronate. When injected into the joint, it provides protection, lubrication, shock absorption and restoration of the viscosity of synovial fluid.
By supplementing the patient’s natural lubricants, hyaluronate injection may reduce pain and stiffness in the treated joints for easier, more comfortable movement. A number of studies in Canada and Europe have shown the beneficial effects of Viscosupplementation in the management of osteoarthritis.
