Abstract
Tendinopathy is a complex clinical condition with a rising incidence and prevalence, particularly during sports practice. For the return to play in affected patients, adequate functional and structural recovery of the tendon is the ultimate goal, avoiding the high risk of recurrence. In this perspective, local therapies alongside exercise are showing promising results. Despite evidence suggesting hyaluronic acid (HA) injections as effective in the treatment of tendinopathy, current recommendations about the management of this condition do not include this intervention. HA seems to be an effective therapeutic option for the management of sport-related tendinopathies, but further studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm available findings. In this narrative review, we analyzed available literature about the rationale of the use of HA in the management of tendon injury and, particularly, in sport-related tendinopathies.
Highlights
Tendinopathy is a complex clinical condition with a rising incidence and prevalence, during sports practice
This paper aims toof describe the rationale of the for sport-related tendinopathies paper aims describe the rationale of the administration in the management of This tendinopathy andtoclinical implications in sportHA
The authors observed significant increases in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and type IV collagen, after 6 week and a decrease in adhesion between the tendon and surrounding tissue in the NaHA group compared to the control group at 6 and 12 weeks [23]. These findings suggest that hyaluronic acid (HA) accelerates tendon repair by inducing the restoration process, suppressing apoptosis, and modulating angiogenesis
Summary
Tendinopathy is a complex clinical condition with a rising incidence and prevalence, during sports practice. For the return to play in affected patients, adequate functional and structural recovery of the tendon is the ultimate goal, avoiding the high risk of recurrence In this perspective, local therapies alongside exercise are showing promising results. HA seems to be an effective therapeutic option for the management of sport-related tendinopathies, but further studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm available findings. Tendon injury triggers the release of cytokines, chemokines, and other inflammatory molecules, responsible of the symptoms reported by affected patients [1] Both prevalence and incidence of tendinopathy are increasing worldwide in the last decades, in sport practice, where accounts for up to ~30% of total injuries [3]. Several risk factors contribute to the development of tendinopathy including genetic susceptibility
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