Aim: To investigate whether the stage of osteoarthritis (OA) progression influenced the efficacy of the third-generation bisphosphonate zoledronic acid in a rat medial meniscal tear model.
Methods: Medial meniscal tear (MMT) was surgically induced in adult male Sprague Dawley rats. Zoledronic acid (ZOL, 100 μg/kg, sc, twice a week) was administered starting immediately, early (from 4 weeks) or late (from 8 weeks) after OA induction.