To better understand the progression of cartilage healing, this work used Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS) to analyze harvested repair tissue. The use of an infrared fiber-optic probe (IFOP) has the potential for translation to a clinical setting to provide beneficial information to surgeons trying to determine the quality of damaged cartilage in patients with joint injuries. In this study, we determined the feasibility of IFOP assessment of cartilage repair tissue and support further development of the IFOP technique for clinical applications.