Experimental knee instability: early mechanical property changes in articular cartilage in a rabbit model.

Utilizing a knee joint instability model for traumatic osteoarthritis, quantitative measurements of the biomechanical properties of the articular cartilage demonstrate that the cartilage deforms and that the deformation rapidly occurs within 24 hours of injury. These changes in mechanical properties may be a more sensitive indicator of early degenerative changes in articular cartilage than the ordinary histological measurements.