Sodium hyaluronate is a high molecular weight polysaccharide, composed of a linear chain of disaccharide units made of sodium glucuronate and N-acetylglucosamine. Sodium hyaluronate is widely distributed in the tissues of the human body and is present in high concentrations in synovial fluid, of which it is the main component. Sodium hyaluronate acts as a tissue lubricant and plays an important role in modulating the physical and mechanical interaction between adjacent tissues and maintains tissue separation as a viscoelastic substance. While the molecular weight varies between sodium hyaluronate preparations, the chemical structure is always the same. Go-On is a 1 % sodium hyaluronate solution obtained from the bacterium Streptococcus equi through fermentation and purification processes.
Synovial fluid, which owes its viscoelastic properties to its hyaluronic acid content, is present in all synovial joints, especially in weight-bearing joints, where its lubricating and shock-absorbing characteristics allow normal, pain-free movement. It also provides nutrients to the articular cartilage. Degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis are associated with a significant decrease in the viscosity of synovial fluid, which loses its lubricating and shock-absorbing functions. The mechanical stress on the joints increases and the articular cartilage becomes thinner, causing pain and impairing the function of the affected joints.
An improvement in the quality of the synovial fluid due to an intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate preparations has been shown to enhance the viscoelastic properties of the synovial fluid. The lubricating and shock-absorbing actions increase, while the mechanical stress on the joints decreases. The pain subsided and joint mobility was restored. After a single treatment of five intra-articular injections, this improvement lasts for at least six months.