Table 2.

Animal models for preclinical cartilage regeneration

Species	Cartilage thickness	Advantages	Limitations
Mouse	20-30 μm	Low cost, genetic models available	Extremely thin cartilage, not load-bearing
Rat	100-150 μm	Inexpensive, widely used, easy handling	Thin cartilage, less similar to humans
Rabbit	200-300 μm	Moderate size, suitable for defect modeling	Rapid healing not reflective of humans
Goat	1000-2000 μm	Load-bearing joints, similar cartilage size	Higher cost, ethical concerns
Pig	900-1300 μm	Joint size, cartilage thickness similar to humans	Expensive, difficult handling
Sheep	700-1200 μm	Weight-bearing joints, suitable for long-term studies	Expensive, anatomical differences