We report an optimized method for RNA extraction from human articular cartilage that does not require the use of specialized equipment or column purification. To maximize RNA yield while minimizing degradation and contamination, chondrocytes are isolated from the extracellular matrix and the traditional TRIzol protocol is modified to include two RNA-DNA-protein phase separations. We compared RNA extracted using this modified method with the traditional TRIzol method by spectrophotometry, Bioanalyzer, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). With the modified method, RNA recovery is increased by nearly 1μg per 100mg of cartilage, and RNA integrity number (RIN) is improved from 2.0 to 7.5.