Table 1.

Interface Strength and Biochemical Composition for Study 1

		GAG%ww	DNA%ww	Maximum push-out stress (kPa)
Cartilage	d00	5.875±0.570	0.03000±0.01470	N/A
	d21 4.0 mm	5.641±0.271	0.03147±0.01497	N/A
	d21 5.0 mm	5.747±0.347	0.03083±0.01287	N/A
	d21 6.0 mm	4.011±0.314a,b	0.02442±0.00611	N/A
	d46 4.0 mm	5.784±0.625	0.03335±0.00235	N/A
	d46 5.0 mm	5.738±0.360	0.02949±0.00884	N/A
	d46 6.0 mm	3.214±0.441a,b	0.01700±0.00702a,b	N/A
Scaffold	d00 4.0 mm	0.000±0.000	0.00000±0.00000	0.16±0.03
	d00 5.0 mm	0.000±0.000	0.00000±0.00000	0.63±0.13
	d00 6.0 mm	0.000±0.000	0.00000±0.00000	1.39±0.17b
	d21 4.0 mm	0.005±0.017	0.00003±0.00015	0.25±0.37b
	d21 5.0 mm	0.017±0.021	0.00011±0.00024	1.25±0.15a
	d21 6.0 mm	0.001±0.015	0.00004±0.00018	1.29±0.25
	d46 4.0 mm	0.001±0.011	0.00001±0.00010	0.15±0.05
	d46 5.0 mm	0.035±0.012a	0.00037±0.00011a	10.40±1.54a–c
	d46 6.0 mm	0.001±0.018	0.00001±0.00008	1.48±0.50

^ap<0.05 versus day 0 values.

^bp<0.05 versus other groups of the same time point.

^cp<0.05 versus previous time points.

Implanted 6.0-mm scaffolds had the highest value for maximum push-out stress, but this value did not change over time. By day 46, implanted scaffolds of diameter 5.0 mm had significant increases in maximum push-out stress and biochemical composition compared with 4.0- and 6.0-mm scaffolds. The cartilage ring of 6.0-mm scaffolds had significant decreases in GAG by day 21 and in DNA after 46 days in culture.

GAG, glycosaminoglycan; NA, not applicable.