The Russian retail segment of synovial fluid prostheses for intra-articular injections (including online and the commercial clinical segment) has shown impressive growth for the third consecutive year. In January–April 2026, retail sales of medical devices in this group reached RUB 8.9 billion (at retail prices, including VAT), with the category growing by 14.3% in monetary terms over the year. From January to April, Russians purchased 744.3 thousand packages, which is 6.5% higher than in the same period of 2025. Despite maintaining upward dynamics, the market has seen a slowdown in growth rates. For comparison, in the full year 2025, the segment's volume increased by 24.7% in value and 16.2% in physical terms. Over the past year, the population of our country purchased over 2.1 million packages of synovial fluid prostheses worth RUB 24.6 billion.

According to the Retail Audit of Medical Device Sales in Russia (total sell out) from the analytical company RNC Pharma, the structure of the Russian retail market for synovial fluid prostheses is dominated by sodium hyaluronate-based products, which account for 67% of physical sales volume and accumulate more than 76% of the segment's total value. At the same time, there is a growing popularity of polynucleotide-based medical devices, represented by a single brand, "Chronotron," whose share in the total volume of packages sold has already reached 15%.

The geographical structure of consumption of intra-articular injections in Russia is characterized by high concentration. In the first four months of 2026, more than 69% of all consumer spending was provided by 20 leading federal subjects of the Russian Federation. Moscow remains the key regional market, accounting for over 19.4% of national sales in value terms. The TOP-3 by revenue also includes Saint Petersburg with an 8% share and Moscow Oblast with 7.8%. Although all three leading regions show a confident upward trend, the highest growth rate was demonstrated by Moscow Oblast, where consumer spending on these medical devices increased by 21% compared to the same period of 2025.

During the analyzed period of January–April 2026, the national average per capita consumption of synovial fluid prostheses was 4.9 packages per 1,000 residents (for comparison, in January–April 2025, it did not exceed 4.6 packages per 1,000 residents). The geographical distribution of physical demand for such medical devices directly correlates with climatic features: the highest consumption intensity is recorded in northern regions with low temperatures and high humidity, where the incidence of musculoskeletal diseases is traditionally higher. The leader in per capita consumption is Murmansk Oblast, which does not even enter the TOP-20 regions by value sales. In the first four months of this year, an average of 12.4 packages per 1,000 people were sold here, which is 2.5 times higher than the national average. The region also shows a significant increase in consumption compared to the same period last year (+17.3%). Second place in the ranking is occupied by Saint Petersburg, with an average of 10.3 packages per 1,000 people sold from January to April of this year. Moscow ranks third (9.6 packages per 1,000 people). Sakhalin and Novgorod Oblasts round out the TOP-5, with 8.1 packages per 1,000 people recorded in each. It is worth noting that Novgorod Oblast saw a colossal 46.7% growth in per capita consumption. The highest growth rates in consumption were demonstrated by Nenets Autonomous Okrug (+90.3%) and the Republic of Karelia (+63.9%).

The lowest intensity of per capita demand for the analyzed products in 2026 was recorded in the regions of the North Caucasus Federal District, with the absolute minimum in the Republic of Ingushetia, where the indicator did not reach 0.2 packages per 1,000 residents from January to April. The list of outsider regions by consumption level also includes the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The low purchase volume in this region, despite extremely cold winters, is due to its sharply continental and predominantly arid climate with relatively low humidity.