Construction of osteochondral-like tissue graft combining β-tricalcium phosphate block and scaffold-free centrifuged chondrocyte cell sheet

Centrifugation and subsequent cultivation of chondrocytes (18.6 × 105 cells) in a 96-well plate for adhesion culture led to the production of a scaffold-free cartilage-like cell sheet with a thickness of 0.85 mm. A combined osteochondral-like structure was produced by putting a βTCP block on the cell sheet. The thickness of the cell sheet on the βTCP block and the binding strength between the cell sheet and the βTCP block could be optimized by adjusting the inoculum cell number and timing of βTCP block addition.