Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is an idiopathic and progressive disease. It was reported that several animal models have been used for the research of osteonecrosis. However, no standardized animal model for the study of osteonecrosis has been developed to date. This study was conducted to compare the degree of osteonecrosis of three surgically induced osteonecrosis models in rats. Twenty Sprague-Dawley rats (24 weeks old, male) were divided into three experimental groups and a control group, five heads each. Three groups were surgically induced into osteonecrosis; the ligamentum teres were cut and the periosteum of the femoral neck was stripped (Group S), the steel wire was ligated to the neck of the femoral head (Group W), and the femoral neck was tied up with a wire in the same way as in the W group, and burned by attaching the electrode tip to the wire and then the wire was removed (Group B). After two weeks, rats were sacrificed and the femoral head and neck were collected. Histological findings were evaluated with H/E stains, Safranin-O and TUNEL for osteonecrotic lesions in the bones and cartilages of the femoral head. Osteonecrosis was induced successfully in all groups (Group S, W and B) in two weeks, a short period of time. Significant necrotic changes of the cartilage were detected only in Group B. In the modified cautery model in particular, the method of removing the wire after cautery was completed in the experimental model of osteonecrosis more efficiently than any other method.