Creation of replacement tissue to repair articular surface defects remains a challenge. Normal zonal characteristics of articular cartilage throughout its thickness, particularly the superficial tangential zone (STZ), and normal material properties have not been reproduced in vitro in scaffolds nor in vivo in repairing defects. Without sufficient quality, such transplanted scaffolds in vivo may be doomed mechanically from the outset. Removal of the STZ from normal cartilage negatively affects the remaining cartilage's ability to support axial loads and retain fluids.
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