Rheology of osteoarthritic synovial fluid mixed with viscosupplements: A pilot study

Abstract

Purpose Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that is characterized by the breakdown of articular cartilage. Rheology of synovial fluid is of interest because of its significance in joint lubrication. However, there are still many questions related to synovial fluid rheology and its relation with OA. Although viscosupplementation has been used as a treatment for OA for many years, its clinical effect remains controversial. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine in vitro the effect of different viscosupplements on the rheological properties of synovial fluid.