Source: Lindsey K. Lepley1,2, Steven M. Davi1, Timothy A. Butterfield3,4 and Sina Shahbazmohamadi5, 1Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT; 2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT; 3Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY; 4Center for Muscle Biology, Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY; 5Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to the knee dramatically increases the risk of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), as approximately one-third of individuals will demonstrate radiographic PTOA within the first decade following ACL injury. Though ACL reconstruction (ACLR) successfully restores knee joint stability, ACLR and current rehabilitation techniques do not prevent the onset of PTOA. Therefore, ACL injury represents the ideal model to study the development of PTOA after traumatic joint injury. Rat models have been used extensively to study the onset and effect of ACL injury on PTOA. The most widely used model of ACL injury is ACL transection, which is an acute model that surgically destabilizes the joint. Though practical, this model does not faithfully mimic human ACL injury due to the invasive and non-physiological injury procedures that mask the native biological response to injury. To improve the clinical translation of our results, we have recently developed a novel non-invasive model of ACL injury where the ACL is ruptured through a single load of tibial compression. This injury closely replicates injury conditions relevant to humans and is highly reproducible. Visualization of joint degeneration through micro-computed tomography (µCT) provides several major advancements over traditional OA staining techniques, including rapid, high-resolution, non-destructive 3D imaging of whole joint degeneration. The goal of this demonstration is to introduce the state of the art non-invasive ACL injury in a rodent model and use µCT to quantify knee joint degeneration.