Fig. 2

a–l Representative live-dead images from donor #1 tissues using FDA/PI revealed that chondrocyte viability was maintained in the cartilage tissue up to 3 weeks in C monoculture (a–c) and CB coculture (e–g). Severe loss in viability was observed in CBS cocultures (i–l) by the third week of culture (k, l). m, n Donor # 14 showed that the impact of mechanical injury was exacerbated by inflammatory environment, causing extensive cell death starting week 1 of culture in the CBS+INJ group; hence, viability was not assessed at week 3 and week 4 in this CBS+INJ group. p–w Donor #1 synovium tissue showed maintenance of synovium viability by 3 weeks for synovium monoculture (p–r) and in CBS coculture (t–v). Increased cell death in synovium was observed by week 4 in mono- (s) and CBS coculture (w). C, cartilage monoculture; S, synovium monoculture; C-CB, cartilage from osteochondral coculture; C-CBS, cartilage from osteochondral plugs cocultured with synovium; C-CBS + INJ, cartilage from mechanically injured osteochondral plugs cocultured with synovium; S-CBS, synovium explant from osteochondral plugs cocultured with synovium