Modified Medial Meniscectomy (MMM) Model to Assess Knee Joint Pain, Structure and Function in Post-traumatic Osteoarthritis in Mouse

Mechanical, physiological, and biochemical changes contribute to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). However, specific mouse models that are highly reproducible, less invasive, and easy to perform are lacking, which hampers our understanding of PTOA pain, function, and degeneration. This limitation hinders the progress of evaluating PTOA-related studies for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The goal of this study was to establish a highly reproducible and efficient surgical model for PTOA. We developed a modified medial meniscectomy (MMM) model that demonstrated high reproducibility and applicability in assessing pain, as well as in conducting structural and functional analyses. The MMM model features distinct differences in the execution of the transection of the medial meniscus on the lateral side and includes a smaller incision, which enhances reproducibility and is beneficial for studying pain, structure, and function. Consequently, this MMM model could be utilized for future therapeutic interventions.