Intelligent treatment strategies for knee cartilage injury repair

Knee cartilage injury, a prevalent clinical condition leading to pain and functional impairment, presents significant challenges for complete restoration due to the tissue's limited regenerative capacity. This narrative review examines the paradigm shift towards intelligent treatment strategies encompassing the entire patient journey, from preoperative planning to postoperative rehabilitation. We detail the application of advanced surgical navigation systems (e.g., Holoknee), robotic assistance, and artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the precision of diagnostic assessment, surgical execution, and personalized planning based on the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) classification. Furthermore, we evaluate the role of intelligent rehabilitation equipment, wearable sensors, and telemonitoring systems in facilitating real-time feedback, improving adherence, and optimizing functional recovery remotely. The synthesis of evidence indicates that integrating intelligent technologies with established surgical techniques—such as microfracture, autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), matrix-assisted chondrocyte implantation (MACI), and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies—can significantly improve surgical accuracy, reduce complications, and streamline rehabilitation. This review concludes that the future of knee cartilage repair lies in a holistic, data-driven, and personalized approach, where intelligent systems bridge the gap between innovative surgical repair and effective long-term functional restoration, although further standardization and clinical validation are required.