A Review of Translational Animal Models for Knee Osteoarthritis

Table 1

Advantages and disadvantages of osteoarthritis animal models.

	Advantages	Disadvantages	Models used
Mouse	Low cost; Easy of use; Genome sequenced; Can view hole knee can on slides	Thin cartilage; Postoperative management difficult	Genetic [3–7]; Meniscal destabilization [7]; Chemical [7]
Rat	Low cost; Ease to use; Thicker cartilage than mouse; Can view hole knee can on slides	Small joints; Postoperative management difficult	Medial meniscus tear [8–10]; Partial medial meniscectomy [11]; ACL transection [12–14]; ACL transection with partial medial meniscectomy [13, 15]; Chemical [16, 17]
Rabbit	Easy to use	Knee biomechanics; Cartilage capable of regeneration; Different histology from human; Postoperative management difficult	ACL transection [18, 19]; Meniscectomy [20]; Chemical [21, 22]
Guinea pig	Similar histopathology to human; Prone to spontaneous OA	Sedentary lifestyle; Arthroscopy not possible	Spontaneous [23–42]; Meniscectomy [43]; Chemical [44, 45]
Dog	Prone to spontaneous OA; Arthroscopy feasible; MRI feasible; GI physiology; Genome sequenced; Validated outcome measures	Cost; Public perception	Spontaneous [46]; ACL transection [46–56]; Meniscal release [48, 57]; Focal cartilage defect [48, 58–60]
Sheep/goat	Large joint; Easy to use; Arthroscopy feasible; MRI feasible	Cost; GI physiology	Partial/total meniscectomy [61–66]
Horse	Spontaneous OA; Can induce OA without instability; Arthroscopy feasible; MRI feasible	Cost; Anatomy	Spontaneous [67]; Osteochondral-fragment exercise model [68–73]