Articular cartilage covers the bone surfaces in the joint and plays a key role in joint function. It is made up of an extracellular matrix and cells called chondrocytes. Cartilage damage has very limited capacity of healing and can therefore lead to significant morbidity. Although very common, until the end of the last century their treatment did not provide good long-term results. Methods that stimulate cartilage regeneration are therefore very attractive, as they allow younger patients to return to previous activities and prevent the development of osteoarthritis. The method of autologous chondrocyte transplantation today plays an important role in the treatment of focal high-grade chondral defects. In this method, a small sample of healthy cartilage is taken from the area under less load by arthroscopy and sent to the laboratory for processing. The isolated chondrocytes are expanded in cell culture. After a suffcient amount of cells is obtained, autologous chondrocytes are implanted into the defect in the second procedure. The advantage is the use of the patient's own cells, which reduces the risk of transplant rejection, while the disadvantages are long rehabilitation duration and high cost, which makes the requirements for its effectiveness much higher than when using simpler procedures, such as microfracture. Based on new findings, various modifications of this method have been developed over time, with the aim of reducing complications and increasing the success of the procedure. Many studies have confirmed the success and long-term results of autologous chondrocyte transplantation.