McDevitt and Muir (1976) characterize the biochemical changes in articular cartilage of canine knees following ACL transection (at 3, 6, 9, and 48 weeks) and in one dog with natural OA, using the contralateral knee as a within-animal control. The study asks what proteoglycan changes occur in early OA and whether they precede visible surface damage.
This foundational work helps explain why ACL injuries lead to osteoarthritis and why early intervention matters—the cartilage begins changing biochemically before visible damage occurs.
McDevitt and Muir (1976) characterize the biochemical changes in articular cartilage of canine knees following ACL transection (at 3, 6, 9, and 48 weeks) and in one dog with natural OA, using the contralateral knee as a within-animal control. The study asks what proteoglycan changes occur in early OA and whether they precede visible surface damage.
This foundational work helps explain why ACL injuries lead to osteoarthritis and why early intervention matters—the cartilage begins changing biochemically before visible damage occurs.