Name: Development and Evaluation of a Rat Model of Full-Thickness Cartilage Defects (Video) | JoVE Journal
Uploaded: 2023-05-19T14:30:00.000+00:00
Duration: 4 min 34 s
Description: Learn to develop a full-thickness cartilage defect model in rats using surgical drilling and histopathological analysis. This method enables evaluation of therapeutic treatments for cartilage injury and post-traumatic osteoarthritis research.

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5 minutes

This study was supported by the Zhejiang Natural Science Foundation (grant number LQ20H270009), the Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 82074464 and 82104890), the Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medical Science Foundation (grant numbers 2020ZA039, 2020ZA096, and 2022ZB137) and the Medical Health Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Provincial Health Commission (grant number 2016KYA196).

The animal experiments were approved by the Medical Standards and Ethics Committee of Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which conforms to the China legislation on the use and care of laboratory animals. In the present study, 6 week old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats weighing 150-180 g were used. The animals were obtained from a commercial source (see the Table of Materials).
1. Establishment of a full-thickness cartilage defects model in rats
<ol>
	<li>After 1 week of acclimatization to the new environment, randomly and equally divide the rats into two groups (n = 8 rats/group). The rats in the sham group will have the sham surgery, while the rats in the model group will have the experimental surgery involving drilling holes in the femoral trochlear groove. 
	NOTE: Each cage must be covered with sterile corncob paddings (see the Table of Materials) to protect the rats&#39; toes.</li>
	<li>Anesthetize the rats by an intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of pentobarbital sodium (40 mg/kg). Then, gently press the toes of the rats to confirm adequate anesthesia. Use a vet ointment on the rats&#39; eyes to prevent dryness while under anesthesia. 
	NOTE: The animal surgery needs to be performed in a dedicated operating room using autoclaved surgical instruments. The operators must wear clean laboratory coats, facemasks, head covers, and sterile gloves during the surgery.&#160;Place sterile pads over the surgical area and sterilize all equipment before use. Provide thermal support throughout the procedure.</li>
	<li>Place the rat on the operating table in a supine position, shave the left and right hind limbs, and clean the knee joint area with surgical soap, followed by alternating antiseptic povidone-iodine solution and alcohol three times under sterile conditions. Place a sterile drape over the rat, and expose the disinfected knee joint only.</li>
	<li>Make a 1 cm incision with a scalpel blade (number 11) in the middle of the rat knee joint from top to bottom, and cut the joint capsule and quadriceps femoris tendon along the medial edge of the patella after the superficial dissection. 
	NOTE: The quadriceps femoris tendon is attached to the patella and to the femoral condyle during the flexion of the knee joint13. The groove seen in the joint capsule is the femoral trochlear groove, and the distal femoral condyle forms the medial and lateral condyles.</li>
	<li>Turn the patella to the outside, and flex the tibia and fibula at a 90&#176; angle to fully expose the trochlea of the femoral condyle. Use a 1.6 mm diameter circular drill bit (see the Table of Materials) vertical to the cartilage surface at 4,000 rpm for 10 s to make one full-thickness cartilage defect in the femoral trochlear groove with a depth of 0.1 mm. 
	NOTE: Use saline intermittently to minimize thermal trauma to the surrounding bone tissue during the drilling procedure.</li>
	<li>Wipe the surgical site with cotton balls soaked in a 0.9% saline solution, replace the patella, keep the knee in an extension position, and suture the incision layer by layer with nonabsorbable 4-0 sutures (see Table of Materials).
	<ol>
		<li>Place the animals on heating pads with sternal recumbency, monitor them until they wake up, and then return them to their cages. Inject buprenorphine (0.05 mg/kg) subcutaneously every 8 h three times after the operation for pain relief.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Test the pain-related behavior of all the rats at 3 days, 10 days, and 17 days after the surgery, as described in section 2.</li>
</ol>
2. Mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT)
NOTE: The MWT of the bilateral posterior plantar of rats was measured by the classical von Frey filament pain measurement method14.
<ol>
	<li>Place the rat in a single plastic chamber (17 cm x 11 cm x 13 cm) on a wire mesh platform (see the Table of Materials), and place the wire mesh base 50 cm above a table. Measure the MWT after 30 min of adaptation.</li>
	<li>Press the von Frey filament (see the Table of Materials) perpendicularly on the plantar surface of each rat&#39;s hind paw, and bend the brush for about 2 s, avoiding the thickest part of the center of the hind paw.</li>
	<li>Gradually increase the stimulus weight from the lowest 4 g until a positive response (paw withdrawal or paw licking) occurs. 
	NOTE: The interval between each stimulation should be more than 1 min. The MWT is defined as three positive responses in five stimulations; record the stimulus weight in grams.</li>
	<li>Calculate the mean values for the sham and model groups according to the recorded minimal stimulus weight in grams.</li>
</ol>
3. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis
<ol>
	<li>At 17 and 56 days after surgery, anesthetize the rats with a 40 mg/kg pentobarbital sodium (i.p.), and sacrifice all the rats by withdrawing blood from the heart. Isolate the knees by cutting the bone at the mid-femur and mid-tibia, and dissect the surrounding muscle tissue. Remove the knee joints for histological analysis.</li>
	<li>Fix the knee joints in 20 mL of 10% paraformaldehyde solution for 48 h at room temperature, and then decalcify them with 20 mL of 10% EDTA solution in an orbital shaker for 8 weeks at 4 &#176;C. Change the EDTA solution every day.</li>
	<li>Trim the knee joint to fit the size of the embedding box. Embed the dehydrated knee joints in 100% paraffin15.</li>
	<li>Place the paraffin-embedded knee joints on the holder of a microtome, adjust the angle, and trim the paraffin sample with a blade until the surface is flat.</li>
	<li>Set the thickness of the paraffin slices to 3 &#181;m, and flatten the slices in a water bath at 40 &#176;C.</li>
	<li>Stick the slices on glass slides, place them in a 45 &#176;C baking machine (see the Table of Materials) until they are dry, and store them at room temperature.</li>
	<li>Dewaxing and rehydration: Dewax the slices in an oven at 60 &#176;C for 4 h, and then place the slices successively in 100% xylene (three times), 100% ethanol (two times), 95% ethanol, 80% ethanol, and 75% ethanol for 5 min each time.</li>
	<li>Hematoxylin and eosin (H&#38;E) staining
	<ol>
		<li>Dewax, rehydrate, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Stain the slices with 0.5% hematoxylin (see Table of Materials) for 3 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water until there is no hematoxylin residue on the slice surfaces.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in 1% hydrochloric acid alcohol for 3 s, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Soak the slices in 1% ammonia water for 10 s, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Stain the slices with eosin (see Table of Materials) for 1 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water until there is no eosin residue on the slice surfaces.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in 95% ethanol, 100% ethanol, and 100% xylene (three times) successively for 1 min each time.</li>
		<li>Add a drop of neutral resin (see Table of Materials) to each slice, and seal it with a coverslip.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Safranin O/Fast Freen (SO) staining
	<ol>
		<li>Dewax, rehydrate, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Stain the slices with 0.05% Fast Green (see the Table of Materials) for 3 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water until there is no Fast Green residue on the surface of the slices.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in 1% acetic acid solution for 10 s, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Stain the slices with 2.5% SO (see Table of Materials) for 2 min, and then wash the slices with double-distilled water until there is no SO residue on the slice surfaces.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in 95% ethanol, 100% ethanol, and 100% xylene (three times) successively for 1 min each time.</li>
		<li>Add a drop of neutral resin to each slice, and seal it with a coverslip.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Toluidine blue (TB) staining
	<ol>
		<li>Dewax, rehydrate, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in 1% TB solution (see the Table of Materials) for 2 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water until there is no toluidine blue residue on the surface of the slices.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in 95% ethanol, 100% ethanol, and 100% xylene (three times) successively for 1 min each time.</li>
		<li>Add a drop of neutral resin to each slice, and seal it with a coverslip.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Masson staining
	<ol>
		<li>Dewax, rehydrate, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Add Bouin solution (see the Table of Materials) dropwise to the slices, stain them at 37 &#176;C for 2 h, and wash them with double-distilled water until the yellow color on the surface of the slices disappears.</li>
		<li>Stain the slices with celestite blue (see the Table of Materials) for 3 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water until there is no celestite blue residue on the slice surfaces.</li>
		<li>Stain the slices with hematoxylin for 3 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water until there is no hematoxylin residue on the slice surfaces.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in acidic ethanol for 5 s, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Stain the slices with Ponceau fuchsin (see the Table of Materials) for 10 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water until there is no Ponceau fuchsin residue on the slice surfaces.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in phosphomolybdic acid (see the Table of Materials) for 10 min, then immerse them in TB solution for 5 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water until there is no TB residue on the surface of the slices.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in a weak acid solution for 2 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in 95% ethanol, 100% ethanol,and 100% xylene (three times) successively for 1 min each time.</li>
		<li>Add a drop of neutral resin to each slice, and seal it with a coverslip.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Observe all the slices under a microscope in a double-blind setting to determine the degree of articular cartilage degeneration according to Mankin&#39;s scoring system16.</li>
	<li>Immunohistochemistry
	<ol>
		<li>Dewax and rehydrate the slices routinely, and wash the slices with PBS for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in sodium citrate solution, and place the slices in an oven at 60 &#176;C for 4 h to repair the antigen. Wash the slices with PBS three times for 3 min each.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in a 0.3% Triton X-100 solution for 10 min, and wash the slices twice with PBS for 3 min each time.</li>
		<li>Block the endogenous peroxidase activity by adding a 3% H2O2 solution in methanol at room temperature for 30 min. Wash the slices twice with PBS for 3 min each time.</li>
		<li>Incubate the sections with 5% goat serum in PBS for 30 min at room temperature to block any non-specific binding. Wash the slices twice with PBS for 3 min each time.</li>
		<li>Add 100 &#181;L of PBS-diluted primary antibodies (anti-col1, 1:50; anti-col3, 1:50; anti-col2, 1:100; and anti-MMP13, 1:100; see the Table of Materials) to each slice, and incubate them overnight at 4 &#176;C. Wash the slices twice with PBS for 3 min each time.</li>
		<li>Incubate each slice with 100 &#181;L of PBS-diluted (1:100) secondary antibody (goat anti-rabbit or goat anti-mouse, see the Table of Materials) at room temperature for 20 min. Wash the slices twice with PBS for 3 min each time.</li>
		<li>Add 100 &#181;L of 3, 3 &#39;-diaminobenzidine (DAB, see the Table of Materials) working solution to each slice.</li>
		<li>Observe and record the appearance time of a brown color under a microscope; the chromogenic reaction turns the epitope sites brown17. Treat the rest of the samples with the same recorded reaction time.</li>
		<li>After the slices turn brown, wash the slices twice with double-distilled water for 3 min each time.</li>
		<li>Re-stain the slices with hematoxylin for 1 min, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in hydrochloric acid for 3 s, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Soak the slices in 1% ammonia water for 10 s, and wash the slices with double-distilled water for 2 min.</li>
		<li>Immerse the slices in 95% ethanol, 100% ethanol, and 100% xylene (three times) successively for 1 min each time.</li>
		<li>Add a drop of neutral resin to each slice, and seal it with a coverslip.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

This study describes an animal model for mimicking clinical cartilage defects by drilling holes in the femoral trochlear groove of rats (Supplementary Figure&#160;1). After cartilage injury, the excitability or responsiveness of peripheral nociceptors is enhanced, which can result in a decrease in the pain threshold and the enhancement of responsiveness to stimulation18. In preclinical studies, the modeling of cartilage defects in different species of animals has ...

Articular cartilage is a highly differentiated and dense tissue consisting of chondrocytes and extracellular matrix1. The surface layer of articular cartilage is a form of hyaline cartilage, which has a smooth surface, low friction, good strength and elasticity, and excellent mechanical stress tolerance2. The extracellular matrix comprises collagen proteoglycan and water, and type II collagen is the main structural component of the collagen, as it accounts for about 90% of the total collagen3. As no blood vessels or nerves exist in cartilage tissue, it lacks the ability to self-repair after injury4. Therefore, cartilage defects caused by trauma have always been an intractable joint disease in clinics; additionally, this joint disease tends to strike young people, and the global incidence is on the rise5,6. The knee joint is the most common site of cartilage defects, and defects here are accompanied by joint pain, joint dysfunction, and articular cartilage degeneration, eventually leading to knee osteoarthritis (kOA)7. Cartilage defects of the knee joint bring economic and physiological burdens to patients and seriously affect the patients' quality of life8. This disease poses a major and urgent clinical challenge with no imminent solutions. Currently, surgery is the mainstay of treatment for cartilage defects, but its long-term outcome remains unsatisfactory9.
Clinical cartilage defects eventually lead to kOA, and, thus, kOA animal models are commonly used for the pathological study of cartilage defects and drug development. The establishment of animal models is important for understanding the pathophysiological process of cartilage defect repair, which can be used to observe the cartilage regeneration and the alteration between fibrocartilage and hyaline cartilage10. However, commonly used kOA animal models, such as surgical models of anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT), destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM), ovariectomy (OVX), and Hulth, usually need long-term modeling and only allow for pathological and pain evaluations, which poses limitations to the efficiency of drug development11. Besides the surgical models, chemical models, such as monoiodoacetate (MIA) and papain injection, also result in cartilage defects, but the degree of the defect cannot be well managed, and the conditions are far from the clinical reality11. Collision is another approach to model cartilage defects in larger animals, but this method depends on the use of specific instruments and is rarely applied12.
In summary, the existing kOA models are not ideal for studying the pathogenesis of cartilage defects or developing new drugs, and a specific and standardized model for cartilage defects is needed. This study established a full-thickness cartilage defects (FTCD) model by drilling holes in the femoral trochlear groove in rats. Gross observation, pain behavior tests, and histopathological analysis were conducted for model evaluation. Unlike other animal models of kOA, this model has little effect on the rats' general condition. This modeling approach is accessible, can be well managed, and supports the understanding of progression from cartilage defects to kOA and the development of effective therapeutics. This model can also be used for testing therapies that prevent kOA by healing defects in pre-osteoarthritic joints.

<table><tbody><tr><td>3, 3 &#039;-diaminobenzidine &amp;nbsp;</td><td>Hangzhou Zhengbo Biotechnology Co., Ltd.</td><td>ZLI-9019</td><td>The dye for IHC staining</td></tr><tr><td>Anti-Collagen III antibody</td><td>Novus</td><td>NB600-594</td><td>Primary antibody for IHC</td></tr><tr><td>Anti-Collagen II antibody</td><td>Abcam (UK)</td><td>34712</td><td>Primary antibody for IHC</td></tr><tr><td>Anti-Collagen I antibody</td><td>Novus</td><td>NB600-408</td><td>Primary antibody for IHC</td></tr><tr><td>Bouin solution</td><td>Shanghai Yuanye Technology Co., Ltd.</td><td>R20381</td><td>The dye for Masson staining</td></tr><tr><td>Celestite blue</td><td>Shanghai Yuanye Technology Co., Ltd.</td><td>R20381</td><td>The dye for Masson staining</td></tr><tr><td>Corncob paddings &amp;nbsp;</td><td>Xiaohe Technology Co., Ltd&amp;nbsp;</td><td></td><td>Bedding for animal&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Eosin</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>861006</td><td>The dye for HE staining</td></tr><tr><td>Fast Green FCF</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>F7252</td><td>The dye for SO staining</td></tr><tr><td>Goat anti-mouse antibody</td><td>ZSGQ-BIO (Beijing, China)</td><td>PV-9002</td><td>Secondary antibody for IHC</td></tr><tr><td>Goat anti-rabbit antibody</td><td>ZSGQ-BIO (Beijing, China)</td><td>PV-9001</td><td>Secondary antibody for IHC</td></tr><tr><td>Hematoxylin</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>H3163</td><td>The dye for HE staining</td></tr><tr><td>Masson</td><td>Shanghai Yuanye Technology Co., Ltd.</td><td>R20381</td><td>The dye for Masson staining</td></tr><tr><td>Microdrill</td><td>Rwd Life Science Co., Ltd</td><td>78001</td><td>Equipment for surgery</td></tr><tr><td>MMP13</td><td>Cell Signaling Technology, Inc. (Danvers, MA, USA)</td><td>69926</td><td>Primary antibody for IHC</td></tr><tr><td>Modular tissue embedding center</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific (USA)</td><td>EC 350</td><td>Produce paraffin blocks</td></tr><tr><td>Neutral resin</td><td>Hangzhou Zhengbo Biotechnology Co., Ltd.</td><td>ZLI-9555</td><td>Seal for IHC</td></tr><tr><td>Nonabsorbable suture</td><td>Hangzhou Huawei Medical Supplies Co.,Ltd.</td><td>4-0</td><td>Equipment for surgery</td></tr><tr><td>Pentobarbital sodium&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Hangzhou Zhengbo Biotechnology Co., Ltd.</td><td>WBBTN5G</td><td>Anesthetized animal</td></tr><tr><td>phosphomolybdic acid&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Shanghai Yuanye Technology Co., Ltd.</td><td>R20381</td><td>The dye for Masson staining</td></tr><tr><td>Ponceau fuchsin</td><td>Shanghai Yuanye Technology Co., Ltd.</td><td>R20381</td><td>The dye for Masson staining</td></tr><tr><td>Rotary and Sliding Microtomes</td><td>Thermo Fisher Scientific (USA)</td><td>HM325</td><td>Precise paraffin sections</td></tr><tr><td>Safranin-O</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>S2255</td><td>The dye for SO staining</td></tr><tr><td>Scalpel blade</td><td>Shanghai Lianhui Medical Supplies Co., Ltd.</td><td>11</td><td>Equipment for surgery</td></tr><tr><td>Sodium citrate solution (20x)</td><td>Hangzhou Haoke Biotechnology Co., Ltd.</td><td>HK1222</td><td>Antigen retrieval for IHC</td></tr><tr><td>Sprague Dawley (SD) rats</td><td>&amp;nbsp;Shanghai Slake Experimental Animal Co., Ltd.</td><td>SD</td><td>Experimental animal</td></tr><tr><td>Tissue-Tek VIP 5 Jr</td><td>Sakura (Japan)</td><td></td><td>Vacuum Infiltration Processor</td></tr><tr><td>Toluidine Blue</td><td>Sigma-Aldrich</td><td>89640</td><td>The dye for TB staining</td></tr><tr><td>Von Frey filament</td><td>UGO Basile (Italy)&amp;nbsp;</td><td>37450-275</td><td>Equipment for MWT assay</td></tr><tr><td>Wire mesh platform&amp;nbsp;</td><td>Shanghai Yuyan Instruments Co.,Ltd.</td><td></td><td>Equipment for MWT assay</td></tr></tbody></table>

development and evaluation of a rat model of full-thickness cartilage defects

Development and Evaluation of a Rat Model of Full-Thickness Cartilage Defects

Cartilage defects of the knee joint caused by trauma are a common sports joint injury in the clinic, and these defects result in joint pain, impaired movement, and eventually, knee osteoarthritis (kOA). However, there is little effective treatment for cartilage defects or even kOA. Animal models are important for developing therapeutic drugs, but the existing models for cartilage defects are unsatisfactory. This work established a full-thickness cartilage defects (FTCD) model by drilling holes in the femoral trochlear groove of rats, and the subsequent pain behavior and histopathological changes were used as readout experiments. After surgery, the mechanical withdrawal threshold was decreased, chondrocytes at the injured site were lost, matrix metalloproteinase MMP13 expression was increased, and type II collagen expression decreased, consistent with the pathological changes observed in human cartilage defects. This methodology is easy and simple to perform and enables gross observation immediately after the injury. Furthermore, this model can successfully mimic clinical cartilage defects, thus providing a platform for studying the pathological process of cartilage defects and developing corresponding therapeutic drugs.

In this work, a rat model of FTCD was established by drilling holes in the femoral trochlear groove and detecting the subsequent pain behavior and histopathological changes. As shown in Figure 1, 3 days after modeling, compared with the sham group, the MWT of rats in the model group was significantly reduced, suggesting hyperalgesia caused by the FTCD. At 17 days after modeling, the mechanical withdrawal threshold of the rats in the model group remained at a low level, indicating that the pa...

This protocol establishes a full-thickness cartilage defects (FTCD) model by drilling holes in the femoral trochlear groove of rats and measuring the subsequent pain behavior and histopathological changes.

Cartilage defects of the knee joint caused by trauma are a common sports joint injury in the clinic, and these defects result in joint pain, impaired ...

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Research

JoVE Journal

Medicine

An experimental technique for the treatment of chondral defects in the rabbit's knee joint is described. The implantation of autologous chondrocytes seeded on a matrix is a well-accepted method for the remodeling and repair of articular cartilage lesions providing satisfying long-term results. Matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) offers a standardized and clinically established implantation method.

Matrix-assisted Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation for Remodeling and Repair of Chondral Defects in a Rabbit Model

Animal models are important tools for the evaluation of tissue-engineered grafts. This paper presents the protocol for preparing an electrospun biodegradable polymer graft for use in anterior cruciate ligament tissue engineering, as well as a surgical protocol for implantation in a rat model.

Athymic Rat Model for Evaluation of Engineered Anterior Cruciate Ligament Grafts

The growth plate is a cartilaginous region in children's long bones where longitudinal growth occurs. When injured, bony tissue can form and impair growth. We describe a rat model of growth plate injury that leads to bony repair tissue, allowing the study of repair mechanisms and growth plate regeneration strategies.

A Rat Tibial Growth Plate Injury Model to Characterize Repair Mechanisms and Evaluate Growth Plate Regeneration Strategies

This paper describes the preparation and evaluation of umbilical cord matrix-derived mesenchymal stem cells spheroids with a bilateral patellar tendon defect model in a rat. This model was associated with an acceptable morbidity and was found to detect differences between untreated and treated tendons, and between the two treatments tested.

Evaluation of Stem Cell Therapies in a Bilateral Patellar Tendon Injury Model in Rats

In vivo mammalian models of critical-sized bone defects are essential for researchers studying healing mechanisms and orthopedic therapies. Here, we introduce a protocol for the creation of reproducible, segmental, femoral defects in rats stabilized using external fixation.

A Reliable and Reproducible Critical-Sized Segmental Femoral Defect Model in Rats Stabilized with a Custom External Fixator

Here, we present the cyclic loading-induced intra-articular cartilage lesion model of the rat knee, generated by 60 cyclic compressions over 20 N, resulting in damage to the femoral condylar cartilage in rats.

A Non-Invasive Method for Generating the Cyclic Loading-Induced Intra-Articular Cartilage Lesion Model of the Rat Knee

The open medial femoral condyle impact model in rabbits is reliable for studying post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) and novel therapeutic strategies to mitigate PTOA progression. This protocol generates an isolated cartilage defect of the posterior medial femoral condyle in rabbits using a carriage-based drop tower with an impactor head.

A Reproducible Cartilage Impact Model to Generate Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis in the Rabbit

Here, we present a protocol for creating a box-cavity defect in rat femoral diaphysis tissue. This model can assess biomaterial performance under biomechanical stress and explore mechanisms of bone regeneration related to intramembranous osteogenesis.

Creating a Box-Cavity Defect Model in the Cortical Bone of Rat Femora

We describe the detailed surgical procedures of calvarial suture-bony composite defects in rats, alongside the investigations into the short-term and long-term prognoses of the model. We aim to construct a standardized model for developing suture-regenerative therapies.

The Establishment of Calvarial Suture-Bony Composite Defects in Rats: A Standardized Model for Suture-Regenerative Therapy Investigation

Here, we present an integrated protocol for generating controlled osteochondral lesions in sheep knees to establish an experimental model suitable for bone and cartilage tissue regeneration studies. The protocol outlines a method for inducing a full-thickness osteochondral defect in the femoral condyle, utilizing techniques that minimize animal welfare impacts and variability in results.

Establishment and Evaluation of a Sheep Model of Full-thickness Osteochondral Defect

This study established a rat femoral half-segmental defect model to evaluate the mechanical and osteogenic performance of bone substitute materials under load-bearing conditions without the use of internal or external fixation.

Half-segmental Diaphyseal Bone Defect Model in Rats for Evaluating Bone Substitute Performance in Load-bearing Regions

Learn to develop a full-thickness cartilage defect model in rats using surgical drilling and histopathological analysis. This method enables evaluation of therapeutic treatments for cartilage injury and post-traumatic osteoarthritis research.

Development and Evaluation of a Rat Model of Full-Thickness Cartilage Defects

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