Viscosupplementation, or the intra articular administration of hyaluronic acid in order to stabilise synovial fluid chemistry and improve its functional quality, is now a popular therapeutic method whose efficacy, based on numerous published studies, makes it not only a form of symptomatic treatment, but also, to a considerable extent, a cause-oriented treatment.

However, a possibly controversial aspect of this therapy is the use of “intra articular hyaluronate” in the treatment of post-traumatic or inflammatory soft-tissue lesions in in the musculoskeletal system.

Inappropriate administration of this dosage form to the area of the injured soft tissue (Achilles tendon, periarticular tendon of tarsal joint or knee, tennis elbow, tendinopathy within the rotator cuff, etc.) may not only lead to a failure to achieve the desired therapeutic effect but can even increase the severity of the symptoms, including a rupture of the frayed tendon.

The role and importance of hyaluronate in the process of natural regeneration of damaged soft tissue has been demonstrated unequivocally and beyond any doubt.

Subsequent research aimed to produce forms of hyaluronic acid that would be characterised by a greater influence and support of the regeneration processes in musculoskeletal soft tissue after an acute or chronic injury, as well as to develop the technology to produce a formulation which would be biocompatible, efficient and adapted to the treatment of ligament and tendon injuries.

Following administration, such formulation would also need to be identified by the body as a naturally produced hyaluronate, which plays an essential role in the repair of damaged tissue, beginning with the bleeding phase and involving in all phases of the healing process, as has been demonstrated in numerous scientific studies.

The development of a technology for producing hyaluronic acid known as STABHA™ (Soft Tissue Adapted Biocompatible Hyaluronic Acid) in 2008 proved to be a significant achievement in this area.

The therapeutic efficacy of STABHA™-containing preparations has been documented in many clinical trials with patients treated for common musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, such as talocrural sprain, so called tennis elbow or rotator cuff tendinopathy.

This paper, based on the available literature and the authors’ clinical experience, reviews the therapeutic efficacy of preparations containing STABHA™ used in the treatment of acute and chronic musculoskeletal soft-tissue injuries to enable the reader to make decisions regarding the use of this form of treatment in clinical practice.