FIG. 3.

Perioperative gross appearance of empty defects (A) and implanted osteochondral constructs (D). Animal knees (stifles) were monitored arthroscopically during the 3-month experimental period to nondestructively study animal healing and response to implants (B, E; arrows indicate defect sites). Empty defects showed generally poor filling of the defect site with fibrous/fibrocartilage appearance (B, top and bottom), whereas sites receiving engineered cartilage ranged from good (E, bottom) to excellent (E, top) filling. Digital radiographic imaging was also used to confirm that implanted osteochondral constructs remained in place in the defect sites based on location and appearance of the tantalum trabecular metal (F). The empty defect radiograph is shown as a technical control (C). Color images available online at www.liebertonline.com/ten.