Osteoarthritis(OA) is a common disease in clinic. The study of laboratory animal model is one of the most important methods for studying the cause and therapeutic strategies of human OA. Rat is an ideal animal for OA study. Used methods include intraarticular surgery,intraarticular injection,extraarticular surgery,and so on. Every method has its advantages and disadvantages. This article reviews the methods about how to establish the model,the characteristics of the model and its applications in rat.