 Articular cartilage damage can lead to osteoarthritis, a debilitating condition that affects millions of people globally. Scaffold-based tissue engineering has emerged as a promising approach for treating damaged cartilage, but there is still much work to be done before it can be used in clinics. Recent advancements in fabrication technology have enabled the development of hybrid and zonal scaffolds with complex, biomimetic structures and properties. These scaffolds could potentially provide a more effective solution for cartilage repair than current methods. This article was authored by Xiong Biaochen, Zara Azadafar and William Kulik.