Objective To investigate the effects of the misshapen auricular chondrocytes from microtia in inducing chondrogenesis of human adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) in vitro. Methods Human ADSCs at passage 3 and misshapen auricular chondrocytes at passage 2 were harvested and mixed at a ratio of 7 ∶ 3 as experimental group (group A, 1.0 × 106 mixed cells). Misshapen auricular chondrocytes or ADSCs at the same cell number served as control groups (groups B and C, respectively). All samples were incubated in the centrifuge tubes. At 28 days after incubation, the morphological examination was done and the wet weight was measured; the content of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) was detected by Alcian blue colorimetry; the expressions of collagen type II and Aggrecan were determined with RT-PCR; and HE staining, toluidine blue staining, Safranin O staining of GAG, and collagen type II immunohistochemical staining were used for histological and immunohistochemical observations. Results At 28 days after incubation, all specimens formed disc tissue that was translucent and white with smooth surface and good elasticity in groups A and B; the specimens shrank into yellow spherical tissue without elasticity in group C. The wet weight and GAG content of specimens in groups A and B were significantly higher than those in group C (P lt; 0.05), but no significant difference was found between groups A and B in the wet weight (t=1.820 3, P=0.068 7) and in GAG content (t=1.861 4, P=0.062 7). In groups A and B, obvious expressions of collagen type II and Aggrecan mRNA could be detected by RT-PCR, but no obvious expressions were observed in group C; the expressions in groups A and B were significantly higher than those in group C (P lt; 0.05), but no significant difference was found between groups A and B in collagen type II mRNA expression (t=1.457 6, P=0.144 9) and Aggrecan mRNA expression (t=1.519 5, P=0.128 6). Mature cartilage lacunas and different degrees of dyeing for the extracellular matrix could be observed in groups A and B; no mature cartilage lacunas or collagen type II could be observed in group C. The expression of collagen type II around cartilage lacuna was observed in groups A and B, but no expression in group C; the gray values of groups A and B were significantly lower than that of group C (P lt; 0.01), but no significant difference was found between groups A and B (t=1.661 5, P=0.09 7 0). Conclusion Misshapen auricular chondrocytes from microtia can induce chondrogenic differentiation of human ADSCs in vitro.