Cultured mesenchymal stem cell transfers in the treatment of partial growth arrest.

Mesenchymal stem cells were cultured from periosteum harvested from the tibias of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. An experimental model for growth arrest was created by excising the medial half of the proximal growth plate of the tibia of 6-week-old NZW rabbits. The cultured mesenchymal stem cells were embedded in agarose and transferred into the growth-plate defect after excision of the bony bridge in established growth arrest. Transfer of agarose alone and a periosteum flap without cells served as the control groups. In cases of transfer of mesenchymal stem cells, growth arrest with angular deformation and loss of length of the tibia was corrected. Transfer of agarose alone and a periosteum flap yielded poor results.