Cell-Based Strategies for Meniscus Tissue Engineering

Figure 1

Schematic diagram of meniscus internal ultrastructure. Most of collagen fibers bundles oriented circumferentially; only few of them presented a radial alignment. Cells of the superficial zone are fusiform in shape and located below the tissue surface; the cells in the outer one-third region or vascular zone are mainly elongated fibroblasts, and collagen I accounts for >90%; for inner two-thirds region or avascular zone, round or oval shaped fibrochondrocytes are interspersed, the ratio of collagen I and collagen II is about 2 : 3.