Synonym
Production of hyaluronic acid
In orthopedics, but also in the rest of medicine, artificial hyaluronic acid, i.e. hyaluronic acid produced outside the body, is usually used. The synthesized salt of hyaluronic acid is used in medicine. Hyaluronic acid can also be produced by bacteria.
Streptococcus cultures are usually taken for this purpose. There is no danger of germs being carried away by artificial hyaluronic acids! Animal hyaluronic acids are used less frequently.
For medical use, hyaluronic acid is extracted from foreign tissue. Since there are usually no fibroblasts outside the human body that produce hyaluronic acid, mostly animal cells are used, which are particularly rich in hyaluronic acid. If animal hyaluronic acid production is chosen, Hahnenkamp is usually used. However, it should be noted that in some cases allergic reactions can occur if there is hypersensitivity to animal products.
Summary
Hyaluronic acid is a biological molecule made up of various chemical building blocks that belong to the group of proteoglycans. Sugar is an important component of this structure. The sugar parts can be linked to each other for any length of time, thus achieving a completely different length.
The longer the linked molecules become, the thicker and tougher the molecule becomes. The main source of hyaluronic acid is in the joints of the body, where it is needed as a lubricant due to its shock-absorbing and lubricating effect. It is produced by the so-called fibroblasts (special connective tissue cells), whose structure is very similar to that of nerve cells and which can attach their extensions to each other accordingly.
Fibroblasts are usually found near joints. After production of hyaluronic acid, quantities of this substance are regularly released into the joint space. Other production sites and occurrences of hyaluronic acid are e.g. also the intervertebral discs of the human spine.
The reason is that the substance, in addition to its lubricating and gliding effect, also causes tearing stability. The molecule can be found everywhere where a lot of pressure has to be absorbed, especially in human cartilage. Most of the force must be absorbed by the body on the spine with every movement. For this reason it makes sense that there are also accumulations of hyaluronan in and between the intervertebral discs.