Magnetic resonance imaging of water has been used to visualise the migration of three paramagnetic species, 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (4-hydroxy-TEMPO, 1), Cu2+ ions, and copper ethylenediamine-tetraacetate (CuEDTA, 2) through cartilage on the femoral condyle of the chicken knee. The migration of copper ions is dominated by strong binding with the cartilage. In contrast, both 1 and 2 bind weakly, and their diffusion can be followed as a progressive wave through the cartilage and subsequently into the trabecular bone structure.