Figure 1. Experimental methods.
(a) Cylindrical explants were dissected from medial condyles of bovine stifles and bisected to created paired samples. (b) Samples were stained with a 3-color assay for mitochondrial polarity and mounted to the stable backplate of a custom impactor. This test frame was subsequently mounted on a confocal microscope. (c) Paired hemi-cylindrical samples were mounted side-by-side on the backplate such that the two were in the same fluid bath but only one was impacted, while the second served as a non-impacted control. Samples were imaged at various locations relative to the impact (8 square fields of view; 5 on the impacted sample, 3 on the non-impacted sample). (d) Samples were imaged at all locations longitudinally, including before and up to 60 minutes after impact. For treated samples, SS-31 peptide treatment was added to the PBS bath surrounding both hemi-cylinders 30 minutes before the first image.