EFFECT OF HYALURONIC ACID MOLECULAR WEIGHT ON FRICTION OF ARTICULAR CARTILAGE

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is among others one of the component of synovial fluid (SF) and is the main component which affects the rheology of SF. However, during various degenerative joint diseases like osteoarthritis, the concentration and molecular weight of HA in SF is decreasing. In recent times, injections with exogenous HA are gaining popularity as a one of the methods for non-invasive treatment of osteoarthritis. Exogenous HA should improve rheological properties of osteoarthritic SF and has also many physiological effects. One of the key parameters which affects the rheology of HA and the efficiency of viscosupplementation is the molecular weight of HA. In this study, the changes in coefficient of friction between intact porcine cartilage and glass plate during reciprocating sliding tests were analyzed to understand how the changes in molecular weight of HA affects the friction of articular cartilage model. The changes in friction between osteoarthritic SF and mixtures of SF and HA with different molecular weight were also analyzed to assess the significance of exogenous HA molecular weight on cartilage friction after viscosupplementation.