To study the polar interactions of the cartilage component hyaluronate (HA) contact angle measurements of polymer films of sodium hyaluronate and of the free hyaluronic acid with different probe liquids and theoretical investigations with molecular dynamics simulation (MD) on polymer segments in aqueous environment were performed. For the designation of contact angles water, formamid, glycerol and α-bromnaphthalene as probe liquids were used. The surface tension components were calculated on the basis of the theory of van Oss using the Young equation. Experimental investigations were done with air dried layers of the sodium salt of HA whose surface has been formed at the interface to the air resp. glass support. Whereas the surface polymer/air is characterized by small, but non-zero values for γ•and γ-the surface polymer/glass tends to have γ-monopolar properties. In opposite to the salt form of HA a strong repulsion of chains and high γ-monopolarity was measured for the protonated form.