Enhancement of cartilage repair through the addition of growth plate chondrocytes in an immature skeleton animal model.

(1) Growth plate chondrocytes have high chondrogenic potential and thus offer new possibilities for cartilage cell therapy. (2) The implantation of a scaffold loaded with bone marrow-derived MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) and growth plate chondrocytes into a cartilage defect is a good therapeutic method in immature patients. (3) Cartilage repair based on a scaffold with bone marrow aspirate-derived cells supplemented with autologous growth plate chondrocytes achieves better results than repair with marrow stimulation and a hyaluronic acid-based scaffold (overall microscopic rating). (4) Chondrocyte clustering is a manifestation of the cartilage repair process but requires further observation.