Articular cartilage (AC) injury is a common clinical condition caused by various factors such as trauma, tumors, infection, and osteoarthritis. The lack of blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatic vessels within cartilage tissue limits its self-regenerative capacity. Current treatment options, including conservative drug therapy and joint replacement, have limitations. Tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach to address AC injury by using cultured and expanded tissue cells combined with suitable scaffold materials to create viable, functional tissues. This review covers advancements in seed cells, scaffolds, and cytokines, as well as the role of stimulatory factors, genetic engineering techniques, biophysical stimulation, and bioreactor systems. The signaling pathways involved in cartilage regeneration are also discussed. The review provides valuable insights for researchers working on cartilage regeneration and repair.Articular cartilage (AC) injury is a common clinical condition caused by various factors such as trauma, tumors, infection, and osteoarthritis. The lack of blood vessels, nerves, and lymphatic vessels within cartilage tissue limits its self-regenerative capacity. Current treatment options, including conservative drug therapy and joint replacement, have limitations. Tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach to address AC injury by using cultured and expanded tissue cells combined with suitable scaffold materials to create viable, functional tissues. This review covers advancements in seed cells, scaffolds, and cytokines, as well as the role of stimulatory factors, genetic engineering techniques, biophysical stimulation, and bioreactor systems. The signaling pathways involved in cartilage regeneration are also discussed. The review provides valuable insights for researchers working on cartilage regeneration and repair.