Purpose <p>The development of articular cartilage permeability measurement devices has been a challenge due to the limitations of complex operation and insufficient precision of traditional measurement devices. This study developed a novel device which integrated a high-precision pressure sensors and a displacement sensors, enabling the accurate measurement of the permeability of irregular cartilage surfaces, with the broader goal of evaluating cartilage repair materials and advancing osteoarthritis treatment research.</p> Methods <p>Finite element simulations were ran to validate the sealing performance of this device. The reliability of this device was validated through experiments. The device was applied to measure permeability coefficients of Capra hircus cartilage and mammalian cartilage and compared with those from literature. It was also used in animal study, where the permeability of healthy cartilage, surgically repaired damaged cartilage, and damaged cartilage repaired by two types of hydrogel scaffolds, were measured and compared.</p> Results <p>Experimental validation showed high agreement between the measured permeability coefficients of capra hircus cartilage and reported values from literature. In addition, comparative analysis revealed that the permeability coefficients of the hydrogel scaffold-repaired groups (domestic scaffold versus imported scaffold) (‍‍1.61 × 10⁻¹⁶ m²/Pa·s versus 2.17 × 10⁻¹⁶ m²/Pa·s) were significantly better than the traditional surgical repair group (2.35 × 10⁻¹⁶ m²/Pa·s) and closer to the healthy group (1.42 × 10⁻¹⁶ m²/Pa·s). This indicates that hydrogel scaffolds can better restore glycosaminoglycan network structure.</p> Conclusion <p>This study provides an efficient tool for cartilage repair material optimization and osteoarthritis treatment evaluation, and promotes the development of joint biomechanics research.</p>