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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transection and Synovial Fluid Lavage in a Rodent Model to Study Joint Inflammation and Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis
Published on: September 2, 2025
A neuromuscular mechanism of posttraumatic osteoarthritis associated with ACL injury
Riann M Palmieri-Smith1, Abbey C Thomas
1Athletic Training, Movement Science, and Orthopaedics, 4745G CCRB, 401 Washtenaw Ave., Division of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. riannp@umich.edu
Abstract:
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury leads to early-onset osteoarthritis. Quadriceps weakness is a consequence of ACL injury and is considered to result from arthrogenic inhibition (AMI). AMI is the neurological "shutdown" of muscles surrounding an injured joint, preventing full activation, reducing strength, and promoting atrophy. As quadriceps function is critical for energy absorption, its dysfunction may contribute to posttraumatic osteoarthritis.
