Table 1.

Modified Mankin scoring system used to evaluate articular cartilage in mice

1) Pericellular Safranine-O staining
a.	Normal	0
b.	Slightly enhanced	1
c.	Intensely enhanced	2
2) Background Safranine-O staining
a.	Normal	0
b.	Slight increase or decrease	1
c.	Severe increase or decrease	2
d.	No staining	3
3) Arrangement of chondrocytes
a.	Normal	0
b.	Appearance of clustering	1
c.	Hypocellularity	2
4) Cartilage structure
a.	normal	0
b.	fibrillation in superficial layer	1
c.	fibrillation beyond superficial layer	2
d.	missing articular cartilages	3