What is a hyaluronic acid injection for osteoarthritis (OA)?

Synovial fluid tends to thin out and become watered down with age -- and in people with osteoarthritis (OA). And when it's thin and watery, synovial fluid loses much of its lubricating ability. But there is a compound that occurs naturally in synovial fluid -- hyaluronic acid -- that makes the fluid thicker and more protective. And recently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a form of hyaluron that can be injected into the knees of people with OA to help thicken the knee's synovial fluid, decrease pain, and improve mobility (it's not yet approved for injection into other joints).

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