FIG. 4.

Numerical analysis of the effect of microgel diameter on shear stress over microgel surfaces. (A) Computational fluid dynamics simulations were implemented to calculate the wall shear stresses acting on cells adhered to the microgel with controlled diameters from (A-1) 3 mm, to (A-2) 1.5 mm, and (A-3) 0.5 mm. (B) (B-1) The average wall shear stresses acting on the microgels increased as the microgel diameter decreased. (B-2) The proliferation rate (k) (■) of MSCs was increased with shear stresses acting on the cells, whereas osteogenic differentiation levels (●) of MSCs were independent of the shear stresses. Color images available online at www.liebertonline.com/tea