Figure 1.

(a) Overview of the experimental design. Triphasic constructs were composed of chondrocyte-seeded bilayered (S, MD) 2% alginate gels and osteoblast-seeded PCL biphasic scaffolds. Alginate gels were cultured in chondrogenic media for 12 weeks and subjected to one week of compressive stimulation prior to in vivo implantation. Triphasic constructs seeded with chondrocytes and osteoblasts were imaged using stereo microscopy, confocal microscopy (rhodamine–phalloidin (red), DAPI (blue)) and scanning electron microscopy (b) (scale bar, 1 mm). Prior to the rat subcutaneous implantation, osteochondral cores prepared from bovine knees were filled with triphasic constructs and the cartilaginous compartment was covered with electrospun PCL mesh (c) (scale bar, 6 mm). Osteochondral constructs were implanted in rat subcutaneously in the dorsal pouches underneath the skin (d) and allowed to mature for 12 weeks.