Intraarticular Injection of High-Molecular Hyaluronic Acid: An Experimental Study on Normal Adult Rabbit Knee Joints

Abstract

High-molecular hyaluronic acid was injected repeatedly into normal knee joints of adult rabbits. Histologically the articular cartilage was not affected by this treatment. The content of chondroitin sulphate, assessed by a histochemical method, was not altered and neither was the water content of the hyaline articular cartilage. on the other hand, in the synovial membrane of joints treated with hyaluronic acid a diffuse infiltration of plasma cells and lymphocytes was observed, indicating that the hyaluronic acid administered exerts its action via the synovial membrane.