... Mankin's score[38] (original score proposed by Mankin and coworkers[39]). The grading system was composed of four catego-ries – cartilage structure (6 points), cartilage cells (3points), staining ... interaction between proteoglycan and collagen[46]. The composition of cartilage, including proteoglycancontent, may be evaluated by observing the intensity ofstaining. In the present study, ... Medical Engineering Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan4Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanCorresponding author: Yasuaki...