Full and Partial Mid-substance ACL Rupture Using Mechanical Tibial Displacement in Male and Female Mice

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most commonly injured knee ligament. Surgical reconstruction is the gold standard treatment for ACL ruptures, but 20-50% of patients develop post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). ACL rupture is thus a well-recognized etiology of PTOA; however, little is known about the initial relationship between ligamentous injury and subsequent PTOA. The goals of this project were to: (1) develop both partial and full models of mid-substance ACL rupture in male and female mice using non-invasive mechanical methods by means of tibial displacement; and (2) to characterize early PTOA changes in the full ACL rupture model. A custom material testing system was utilized to induce either partial or full ACL rupture by means of tibial displacement at 1.6 or 2.0 mm, respectively. Mice were euthanized either (i) immediately post-injury to determine rupture success rates or (ii) 14 days post-injury to evaluate early PTOA progression following full ACL rupture. Our models demonstrated high efficacy in inciting either full or partial ACL rupture in male and female mice within the mid-substance of the ACL. These tools can be utilized for preclinical testing of potential therapeutics and to further our understanding of PTOA following ACL rupture.