Technical Reference • Viscosupplementation

The HA Viscosity Spectrum

A classification of FDA-approved Hyaluronic Acid products based on physical state and rheological properties as defined in SSED documentation.

Core Insight: This spectrum isolates products by their FDA-defined physical state. Approval dates span from 1997 to 2019, showcasing the evolution from simple viscous solutions to complex hydrophobic hydrogels.
Category I Solutions

Purified sodium hyaluronate in saline buffer.

  1. Hyalgan (1997), Triluron (2019)
  2. Supartz FX (2001), Visco-3 (2015)
  3. Euflexxa (2004)
  4. Orthovisc (2004)
  5. Monovisc (2014)
  6. Gel-Syn 3 (2014)
  7. GenVisc 850 (2015), Trivisc (2017)
Category II Fluid

Specific Hylan G-F 20 polymer blend.

  1. Synvisc (1997)
  2. Synvisc-One (2009)
Category III Gels & Hydrogels

Stabilized or derivative hydrogel structures.

  1. Gel-One (2011)
  2. Hymovis (2015)
  3. Durolane (2017)
  4. Hymovis One (2025)
Device Descriptions & Approvals

FDA SSED Reference Catalog

Direct excerpts from FDA Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data (SSED). Click product names for full bibliographical access.

FDA Approved: August 8, 1997

Synvisc (Hylan G-F 20)

Official Description Described as a viscoelastic fluid containing hylan polymers. It consists of ~80% hylan A (a fluid component) and 20% hylan B (a gel component).
FDA Approved: February 4, 2004

Orthovisc

Official Description Documented as a viscoelastic solution containing high molecular weight hyaluronan (1.0-2.9 million Da) derived from bacterial fermentation.
FDA Approved: December 3, 2004

Euflexxa

Official Description Characterized as a viscoelastic solution of 1% high molecular weight sodium hyaluronate (2.4-3.6 million Da).
FDA Approved: February 25, 2014

Monovisc

Official Description Described as a viscoelastic solution containing 88 mg of high molecular weight sodium hyaluronate in 4 mL of sterile physiological saline.
FDA Approved: August 28, 2015

Hymovis

Official Description Characterized as a viscoelastic hydrogel containing hexadecylamide derivative of hyaluronic acid, creating a hydrophobic hydrogel structure.
Clinical Distinction: Viscosity designations are assigned by the FDA based on material physicality and do not correspond solely to individual HA component molecular weight. For example, Euflexxa's classification is based on long HA chain length, whereas Synvisc utilizes cross-linked polymers.