A hydrogel bead for intra-articular supplement made by: providing a solution of alginate, providing a solution with chitosan having a Mw between lower than 60 kD, mixing the solution of alginate and the solution of chitosan, wherein the mixed solution comprises between 0.5 and 0.7% (w/v) of chitosan and between 1 and 1.4% alginate (w/v), introducing droplets of the mixed solution into a solution with Ca2+ or Sr2+ cations and isolating polymerised beads from the solution with cations.