Rhesus macaques as an experimental model for degenerative arthritis.

To understand the pathogenesis of degenerative arthritis, an experimental model of the disease in which systemic factors can be investigated is required. This study reviews the evidence that the spontaneous degenerative arthritis in free ranging rhesus macaques at the Caribbean Primate Research Center meets the criteria for such a model. Two forms of degenerative arthritis in rhesus macaques have been identified: osteoarthritis and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease. These diseases resemble spontaneous human arthritis with respect to age, sex, joint histology and cartilage composition. The availability of large numbers of affected primates as well as the availability of age/sex matched controls free of disease are additional factors that make spontaneous degenerative arthritis in rhesus macaques a suitable experimental model for the study of the human disease.