摘要Cartilage injuries remain a significant therapeutic challenge due to cartilage's limited capacity for self-repair.Traditional treatment approaches for cartilage injuries,including surgical in-terventions,microfracture and autologous chondrocyte implantation,may alleviate symp-toms but frequently present limitations such as surgical trauma,uncertain efficacy,and ad-verse effects.Active ingredients derived from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),which pos-sess anti-inflammatory,anti-apoptotic,proliferation-promoting,and differentiation-inducing properties,have emerged as a promising research focus for treating cartilage damage.However,clinical applications of TCM have been constrained by factors including low bioavailability,insufficient stability,and limited targeting capabilities.The integration of TCM active ingredients with biomaterials offers novel solutions to these challenges.This article ex-amines the pathological foundations of cartilage injury,the mechanisms through which TCM active ingredients such as polysaccharides,flavonoids,terpenoids,aldehydes,polyphenols,and saponins address cartilage injury,and the therapeutic applications of TCM active ingredi-ents combined with biomaterials.These biomaterial delivery systems encompass gels,nano-materials,microspheres,and tissue scaffolds.Additionally,this article analyzes the chal-lenges and potential development trajectories for combining TCM active ingredients with bio-materials in cartilage injury treatment,offering new perspectives for therapeutic interven-tion.