Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling disease of synovial joints, such as the hips and knees, that results in loss ofjoint function and a reduced quality of life. Joint injuries during sports related activities, specifically anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, greatly increase the risk of developing post-traumatic 0A. Since most patients suffering ACL tears develop 0A with or without surgical reconstruction of the ligament, the traumatic loads generated on articular cartilage during the acute injury have been suggested to be a major cause ofpost-traumatic 0A. This thesis describes the mechanical and histological properties of the rabbit tibial plateau using the fibril-reinforced biphasic model of cartilage. Additionally, investigation ofthe mechanical properties and proteoglycan content ofbovine chondral explants following two levels of unconfined compressive loading and treatment with a nutraceutical, glucosamine-chondroitin sulfate, has also been described in this thesis. The effect of cyclic loading was evaluated with and without glucosamine chondroitin sulfate treatment following two levels of unconfined compression using bovine chondral explants. The rabbit tibial plateau was again utilized to investigate the long-term effects ofP188, a tn'block copolymer known to acutely repair damaged cell membranes, following blunt impact to the rabbit tibio-femoral joint. The data presented in this thesis may be used to investigate the progression of the chronic joint disease and introduces possible intervention methods for the prevention of developing CA in the more long term.