Objective To investigate the effect of Zhutan Tongluo Tang on the articular cartilage degeneration in a rat osteoar-thritis model ,and explore the potential mechanism .Methods Thirty-healthy SD rats were equally divided into the normal control group ,the model control group and Zhutan Tongluo Tang group .Rats were induced osteoarthritis models with 4% mass fraction of papain .After replication of osteoarthritis models ,Zhutan Tongluo Tang group were given Zhutan Tongluo Tang with 2 mL/(kg · d) ,the model control group were given lavage with normal saline ,the normal control group with rovtine feeding .After treat-ments for 3 months ,the cartilage morphology were observed using HE stains ,and the expression of IL-1β,TNF-α and MMP-3 in synovial fluid were measured by ELISA .Results The degeneration of cartilage in Zhutan Tongluo Tang group was better than the model control group .Compared with the model control group ,the expression levels of IL-1β (12 .13 pg/mL vs .16 .62 pg/mL ) , TNF-α (13 .76 pg/mL vs .18 .26 pg/mL) and MMP-3 (14 .21 ng/mL vs .21 .57 ng/mL) in synovial fluid were significantly de-creased in Zhutan Tongluo Tang group(P<0 .05) .Conclusion Zhutan Tongluo Tang has the function of treating delaying osteoar-thritis cartilage degeneration and decreasing inflammation ,whose mechanism is related to inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines .