FIGURE 4.

Influence of scaffold degradation by bulk degradation on osteochondral defect repair. (A) Distribution of octahedral shear strain (γ); (B) prediction of tissue formation based on the mechanical stimulus (S). The left, middle, and right columns show the repair outcome with fast, matched and slow degradation speed, respectively, at day 125. The yellow, orange, and green borders indicate the neighboring healthy tissues of cancellous bone, subchondral bone, and cartilage, respectively. The dash-dot and solid black lines highlight the axis of symmetry and the articular surface, respectively; (C) Material elastic modulus and scaffold stiffness during degradation with different degradation speeds. The grey area marks the region of concomitant scaffold erosion. Lines and symbols refer to elastic modulus and stiffness, respectively.