Cartilage tissue has a limited intrinsic capacity for self-healing. Over the decades, researchers have extensively researched methods of cartilage repair, yet some limitations still need to be resolved. Most studies typically evaluate osteochondral regeneration in normal animals. However, traumatic articular cartilage defects may eventually result in osteoarthritis (OA), and the relationship between cartilage defects and OA is not independent. Therefore, in this study, the effect of thiol-modified NIPAAm-