| Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent chronic degenerative joint disease characterized by joint pain, functional impairment, and even deformity, significantly compromising patients' quality of life. Conventional OA treatments primarily focus on pain relief and functional improvement, yet fail to achieve effective cartilage repair or reverse disease progression. Hydrogels, as three-dimensional cross-linked network biomaterials, demonstrate multiple advantages: high water content, excellent biocompatibility, extracellular matrix-like structure, superior drug/cell delivery capacity, and controllable biodegradability with mechanical properties. These materials treat OA through mechanisms including physical defect support, microenvironmental simulation, inflammation regulation, and cartilage regeneration. This study systematically reviews hydrogel characteristics and their clinical applications in OA treatment, providing theoretical foundations and reference for future precision therapies and innovative research. |