Cyclical articular joint loading leads to cartilage thinning and osteopontin production in a novel in vivo rabbit model of repetitive finger flexion

Cyclical loading leads to changes at the tissue and cellular levels in articular cartilage. These changes are suggestive of tidemark advancement and may indicate a reactivation of cartilage mineralization steps analogous to endochondral ossification. This novel in vivo rabbit model of repetitive flexion and loading can be used to investigate the effects of cyclical loading on articular joints.