Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease affecting joint functionality and often managed with hyaluronic acid
(HA) administration. In this study, a hydrogel based on a lactose-modified chitosan (CTL) reticulated with boric
acid has been developed as a viscosupplement for OA treatment. The rheological characterization allowed to
identify a composition whose properties were in line with those of commercial products (in the order of tens of
Pascal). The selected CTL-hydrogel showed biocompatibility and antioxidant activity in vitro, and it did not
influence cytokines release by macrophages. Degradation studies carried out over 24 h pointed out its higher
resistance to chemical degradation with respect to HA samples.
Overall, this study underlines the advantages of the CTL-hydrogel to address the treatment of OA and shed
light on an innovative application of CTL polymer, which is one of the main component of the proposed hydrogel
system and not used in mixture with other molecules.
