Viscosity of Normal Human Synovial Fluid

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Synovial fluid was removed from normal human knee joints at autopsy. In the absence of peripheral edema, only 2-4 ml. could be removed from the 2 knees of an individual. The fluid was extremely viscous. Using pathologic joint fluids of varying viscosities, curves were obtained of joint fluid diluted with 0.9% NaCl. Normal synovial fluid was diluted with 0.9% NaCl and the viscosity measured using 5 ml. Ostwald vis-cosimeters. Viscosity of the undiluted fluid was then obtained by extrapolation on the dilution curves. In the absence of peripheral edema, the viscosity of normal human synovial fluid was greater than the viscosity of pathologic fluids. In the presence of edema, normal synovial fluid was a less viscous material. The joint space acts in this instance as an extracellular space. The decreased viscosity of synovial fluid in pathologic joints may be due to dilution with extracellular water or to depolymerization or dissociation of a highly polymerized hyaluronic acid by hyaluronidase. The protein content measured by a gradient method was less than 3% in normal fluids and more than 3% in pathologic fluids.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: