Rabbit model for osteoarthrosis of the temporomandibular joint as a basis for assessment of outcomes after intervention

Osteoarthritis can be induced in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) by primary or secondary trauma, or overloading of the joint. We have therefore systematically evaluated the histological progression of experimental osteoarthritis induced by a high concentration of monosodium iodoacetate into the rabbit TMJ. These findings may contribute to the establishment of a protocol to investigate the benefits of treatment of osteoarthritis of the TMJ. We used 21 male New Zealand rabbits; the 15 in the test group were given an intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate 10 mg/ml into the right TMJ and were killed after 60 (n = 5), 80 (n = 5), and 100 days (n = 5). The six in the control group were given an injection of saline into the right TMJ. The assessment system for osteoarthritis based on six grades was used for the histological analysis of severity. The model was effective in producing histological changes in the cartilage consistent with those found in osteoarthritis at all time points. The within-group analysis indicated that the disease did not progress after 60 days. The successful induction of osteoarthritis in this way, its stabilisation after 60 days, and the appropriate size of the animal suggest that this experimental model is ideal for future studies of the effectiveness of treatment in osteoarthritis of the TMJ.