The ligand-tethered poly(ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock copolymer was explored to engineer poly(DL-lactic acid) (PDL-LA) material to promote cell attachment and growth. The PEO-PPO-PEO was activated by methyl sulfonyl chloride and the amino acid, and peptide were attached. By blending the PDL-LA with the ligand-tethered PEO-PPO-PEO derivatives, the surface of modified PDL-LA film was investigated by ATR-FTIR, XPS and contact angle. The chondrocytes test on different PDL-LA films indicated that the PEO-PPO-PEO amino acid and RGD derivatives modified PDL-LA films could promote chondrocyte attachment and growth. This simple surface treatment method may have potentials for tissue engineering and other biomedical applications. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.