There is evidence
that hyaluronan separates most tissue surfaces that
slide along each other. The extremely lubricious
properties of hyaluronan, meanwhile, have been
shown to reduce postoperative adhesion formation following abdominal and orthopedic surgery.
As mentioned, the polymer in solution assumes a
stiffened helical configuration, which can be attributed to hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl
groups along the chain. As a result, a coil structure
is formed that traps approximately 1 000 times its
weight in water (Cowman and Matsuoka, 2005).