Advances in micropatterning methodologies have made it possible to create structures with precise architecture on the surface of cell culture substrata. We applied these techniques to fabricate microfeatures (15-65 mum wide; 40 mum deep) on the surface of a flexible, biocompatible polysaccharide gel. The micropatterned polymer gels were subsequently applied as scaffolds for chondrocyte culture and proved effective in maintaining key aspects of the chondrogenic phenotype. These were rounded cell morphology and a positive and statistically significant (p < 0.0001) immunofluorescence assay for the production of type II collagen throughout the maximum culture time of 10 days after cell seeding. Further, cells housed within individual surface features were observed to, proliferate, while serial application of chondrocytes resulted in the formation of cellular aggregates. These methods represent a novel approach to the problem of engineering reparative cartilage in vitro.