Fig. 9.

Histomorphological evaluation of repaired tissue. a. Histological (H&E, safranin O, and Sirius red staining) and immunohistochemical staining (collagen II) of the defect area. Solid arrows indicate the repair interface. (N: normal cartilage; R: repaired cartilage). Scale bars are 500 μm. b. Modified O'Driscoll scores for histological evaluation of cartilage repair after 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Data are presented as the mean ± SD (n = 4). Statistical analysis: *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. c. Statistical results of Young's modulus of regenerated tissue in the defect area after repair. Data are presented as the mean ± SD (n = 4). Statistical analysis: *p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001.