Proper joint function
Hyaluronan is necessary for joint function. Because it is abundant in synovial fluid — the viscous fluid found within joints such as knees and shoulders — hyaluronan cushions joints against impact. Hyaluronan forms the infrastructure that other molecules such as chondroitin sulfate must attach to in order to function properly. Moreover, hyaluronan serves as a renewal signal to cells in and around the joint so that they synthesize new components to replace those that inevitably wear out. In this way, hyaluronan plays both a structural and a functional role — anchoring critical joint structures while ensuring that new components, critical for proper function, are continually made.
