[Artificial synovial fluid for the intra-articular treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis (chemical synthesis and clinico-experimental and biomechanical data)].

Based on the clinical, experimental and biomechanical studies the authors suggest intraarticular treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and deforming osteoarthrosis (DOA) by means of artificial synovial fluid (ASF) developed with the use of polymers and biopolymers. Rheological studies performed with the use of a Rheotest-2 apparatus and ultrasonic interferometry of the samples of normal, RA, DOA synovial fluid and ASF demonstrated that medium-molecular-weight polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and PVP hyaluronate appeared the most similar to natural synovial fluid, PVP-hyaluronate, PVP and its complexes with other drugs (cyclophosphamide, hydrocortisone, arteparone) were applied intraarticularly to the treatment of 520 patients with RA and DOA. The group of patients who received kenalog or placebo intraarticularly served as control.