This study investigated the stimulatory effect of bone healing on cartilage regeneration. Full-thickness osteochondral defects, 5 mm wide x 3 mm deep, were created in the patellar groove of the right distal end of the femur in 60 mature Japanese white rabbits. The bone defect was made in the medial condyle of the ipsilateral tibia in the experimental group. The control group had only a chondral defect in the patellar groove. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks after surgery, cartilage repair was evaluated macroscopically and histologically using a semiquantitative grading scale. The mean scores of the gross and histological evaluation grade in the experimental group were significantly superior to those in the control group at 8 and 12 weeks ( P << 0.05). These findings suggested that regeneration of articular cartilage defects might be promoted by creation of a periarticular bony defect.