Synovial fluid lubricates and nourishes joints, cushioning and facilitating movement of bones and cartilage. It carries nutrients and removes waste, and is contained within the synovial membrane. Testing can aid in diagnosis of ailments, and samples are obtained by inserting a syringe needle into the joint.
Synovial fluid is a fluid-like material found in many of the body’s joints. It is intended to lubricate and nourish certain parts of the joint. Joints where this type of fluid is present are known as synovial joints and include the elbow, knee, shoulder, and hip joints, among others.
Synovial fluid has a thick consistency, somewhat like an egg. It is not like most other fluids in the body and elsewhere, in part because it does not flow like a liquid. It may be more accurate to think of this fluid as a type of connective tissue, due to its composition and the work it does.
Each synovial joint in the body is somewhat like its own organ, with nutritional needs and requirements that differ from other areas of bone. Synovial fluid performs certain mechanical functions, such as cushioning the joints and facilitating the movement of bones and cartilage next to each other. It is also responsible for carrying oxygen and other nutrients to the cartilage and other areas of the joint. In addition to providing nutrients, it also removes carbon dioxide and other waste products from the cartilage and returns them to the bloodstream to be removed from the body.
To keep synovial fluid in the same place around a joint, it is contained within the synovial membrane. The way fluid is held in the joint may be responsible for a phenomenon quite familiar to most of us, namely the “cracking” of joints. When someone makes a cracking or popping sound from one of the synovial joints, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it is commonly theorized that the synovial fluid plays a part in this. When the two bones in a joint are pulled apart from each other, the synovial membrane expands, but the fluid volume does not. To fill the empty space, gases dissolved in the fluid are squeezed out and as they fill this new empty space, a popping sound is emitted.
It is common in the medical field to remove a sample of synovial fluid for testing. There are various parameters and attributes that are analyzed in such a test, such as color, clarity, and white blood cell count. Observation and testing of this fluid can aid in the diagnosis of dozens of different ailments, from rheumatic fever to scurvy. The fluid is obtained by inserting a syringe needle into the area of the joint where the fluid is and drawing a small amount into the syringe. The needles used in this procedure can be quite large, so the area is usually anesthetized beforehand.
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