Figure 5

Safranin-O/fast green staining of plug cartilage (original magnification 10×). (a) At 8 weeks the plug cartilage (between the arrows) was extremely well stained and was covered with newly formed tissue, which was stained partly and the surface of the tissue was irregular. (b) At 12 weeks reparative tissue covered the plug cartilage (between the arrows) and the tissue was faintly stained and the plug was well stained. (c) At 24 weeks postoperatively no reparative tissue covered the plug (between the arrows) and the plug cartilage was stained with safranin-O, but slightly less strongly than the plug cartilage at 8 or 12 weeks.