FIGURE 3.

Mechanical analysis and in vitro cartilage‐like tissue formation of the osteochondral implants. (a) A general increase in compressive modulus over time was found and bi‐layered reinforcement has increased the compressive modulus after 0, 14, and 28 days of culture (n = 3). (b) Bi‐layered reinforcement has increased the complex shear modulus after 28 days of culture (n = 3). (c) 28 days of in vitro culture resulted in an increase in quantitative GAG deposition, normalized per DNA (n = 3). (d) Homogeneous distribution of safranin‐O and type II collagen staining was found in both the superficial tangential, and middle and deep zone after 28 days of in vitro culture, top view (Fi = MEW fiber). Error bars represent standard deviation, *p < 0.05, one‐way ANOVA, post hoc Bonferroni (a, b), unpaired t‐test (c).