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Technological improvements in biology, medicine, chemistry, engineering and material science have allowed deeper insights into the architectural and molecular organization levels of tissues and materials, providing innovative approaches and tools for medical treatments. One of the therapeutic targets that may benefit from these new issues is damaged human articular cartilage, a tissue unable to self-heal. In this review, we have not taken into consideration the pathological degenerations that may cause cartilage damage, but we have concentrated on the means of repair, providing a brief overview of the consolidated cell-based approaches for cartilage resurfacing. However, we have also focused on the tight relationships between chondrocytes and their surrounding extracellular matrix. The aim was to evidence the requirements of the cell components of the tissue, the un-fulfillment of which may cause unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes in present therapies. A deeper analysis of the structural micro- and nano-characteristics of the articular cartilage matrix is presented to motivate the most recent "nano-approaches" that have been developed and published in the literature. Nanofiber technology, material surface topography and bioactivation, and recent advances in nanoparticle modifications are thus considered for their interesting contributions aimed at improving tissue engineering-based cartilage repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]