In the anatomical part of the study on 50 non-embalmed and 50 polymer-embalmed anatomical preparations of the knee joint of an adult were studied the degenerative-dystrophic changes in the bone and auxiliary elements of the knee joint with deforming arthrosis of the I and III stage. The objects of the clinical part of the study were patients with degenerative-dystrophic changes in the knee joint of varying severity who underwent x-ray examination (150 people), magnetic resonance imaging (60 people), diagnostic arthroscopy (35 people). For determine the stage of gonarthrosis in patients, the classification of N.S. Kosinskaya (1961) was used. Identified in the study of anatomical preparations of the knee joint with I stage of gonarthrosis degenerative-dystrophic changes were present in all patients with a similar severity of arthrosis of the knee joint and were confirmed by the results of their additional examination. It study is shown that for the diagnosis of degenerative meniscus ruptures and degenerative ch