title: Is the rabbit knee a suitable model for the human interphalangeal and metacarphophalangeal joints of the hand?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the suitability of the rabbit knee as a small joint model for the human interphalangeal and metacarphophalangeal joints of the hand.
  
  
  METHODS
  The proximal joint surface areas of 47 middle phalanges, the proximal and distal joint surface areas of 90 proximal phalanges, and the distal joint surface areas of 42 metacarpals of various human cadavers were calculated and compared with the distal femoral and proximal tibial joint surface areas of 20 knee of 10 New Zealand white rabbits by a photogrammetric method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean joint surface area of the rabbit proximal tibia was larger than the proximal joint surface area of the middle phalanx, the distal joint surface area of the proximal phalanx, the proximal joint surface area of the proximal phalanx, and the distal joint surface area of the metacarpal. The mean joint surface area of the rabbit distal femur was larger than that of the middle phalanx, but similar to the proximal joint surface area of the proximal phalanx, and that of the distal metacarpal and distal proximal phalanx.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rabbit knee is not suitable model for the human interphalangeal and metacarphophalangeal joints of the hand. There is still a lack of an appropriate animal model for the small joints of the hand.
authors.affiliation: Selçuk University Meram Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nazım
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karalezli
authors.forename: Savaş S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Durduran
authors.forename: Tunç C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Ogün
authors.forename: Ismihan Ilknur
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.forename: Nadire
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Unver Doğan
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oz
mesh_terms: D000717:Anatomy, Comparative; D000818:Animals; D002102:Cadaver; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D050278:Finger Phalanges / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D008662:Metacarpophalangeal Joint / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000601:surgery*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011817:Rabbits