Three well-established surgical models of canine osteoarthritis, ACLT, Groove, and ACLT plus Medial Meniscectomy, offering complementary translational platforms for disease-modifying, cartilage repair, and imaging biomarker studies.
Canine osteoarthritis (OA) models remain among the most translationally relevant large animal platforms in preclinical musculoskeletal research. The stifle joint of the dog shares meaningful anatomical, biomechanical, and pathological similarities with the human knee, making it particularly valuable for evaluating disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs), cartilage repair therapies, imaging biomarkers, and orthopaedic devices.
At Palamur Biosciences, through MRIDA (Medical Research Institute for Devices Assessment), we are equipped to deliver three complementary surgical canine OA models, each carefully matched to a specific class of sponsor question.
1. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transection (ACLT) Model
The ACLT model is one of the most widely referenced surgical canine OA models in the preclinical literature.
The procedure involves surgical transection of the cranial (anterior) cruciate ligament through medial arthrotomy, producing joint instability and progressive osteoarthritic changes over 8 to 16 weeks. The model reliably produces joint instability, osteophyte formation, cartilage erosion, synovitis, and subchondral bone remodelling.
Best suited for: general OA studies, DMOAD evaluation, anti-inflammatory therapies, imaging biomarker development, and cartilage degeneration research.
2. Groove Model of Osteoarthritis (Developed at Utrecht University)
The Groove Model, developed at Utrecht University, takes a fundamentally different approach. Superficial grooves are created in the femoral condyle cartilage while preserving subchondral bone. A defined period of increased axial loading, typically via controlled treadmill exercise, is then applied to promote OA progression.
Unlike ACLT, the Groove Model does not involve ligament transection. It produces a slower, more gradual progression over 10 to 40 weeks, with minimal joint instability, lower synovitis, and preserved subchondral bone. This progression pattern is often considered representative of early human OA.
Best suited for: cartilage repair and regenerative studies, early OA research, evaluation of disease-modifying and cartilage repair therapies, and long-term studies where rapid instability is not desirable.
3. ACLT plus Medial Meniscectomy (ACLT + MX) Model
The ACLT + MX model combines anterior cruciate ligament transection with partial or total medial meniscectomy, producing early, rapid, and severe osteoarthritic changes predominantly in the medial compartment. Pathological progression is more advanced than ACLT alone, with severe cartilage loss, large osteophytes, subchondral bone sclerosis, and pronounced synovitis emerging within 8 to 12 weeks.
Best suited for: advanced OA therapies, preclinical drug and device testing where rapid, severe, and reproducible pathology is required, and studies benchmarking against the most severe end of the OA spectrum.
A single, in-house platform
Each of these models is supported by Palamur's in-house surgical, veterinary, imaging, and histopathology capabilities, delivered by experienced surgeons, scientists, and a dedicated veterinary team. Palamur is also one of India's leading commercial laboratory beagle dog breeders, giving sponsors reliable access to well-characterised, purpose-bred animals for these studies.
Model selection is a scientific decision as much as a logistical one. Our team is glad to work with sponsors early in study design to match the model to the specific question being asked, whether that is a DMOAD candidate, a cartilage repair therapy, an orthopaedic device, or an imaging biomarker programme.
Download the capability overview
To discuss how these models could support your programme, please contact us at bd@palamurbio.com.
