FIG. 5.

Before the attachment of the chondral layer, a single channel (Ø1.6 mm) was cored into the osseous component of the alginate phalanx construct. After 5 weeks of in vitro culture, constructs were subcutaneously implanted into nude mice for a period of 8 weeks. (a) Aldehyde fuchsin/alcian blue staining of channeled phalanx construct preimplantation. (b) H&E staining of channeled phalanx construct postimplantation. (c) μCT image of whole channeled construct. (d) μCT image of the center section of the channeled construct postimplantation corresponding to a thickness of 300 μm. (e) Alizarin red staining of the cross section of a channeled construct postimplantation. (f) Alizarin red staining of the cross section of a regular nonchanneled construct postimplantation. Cross sections were taken from the region CS, as illustrated in (d). Scale bars in (a–d) are 2 mm. Inset scale bars in (b) are 100 μm. Scale bars in (e–f) are 500 μm.