Thin polymer films were formed on poly-(dl-lactide) (PDL-LA) using polyelectrolyte multilayer technique to promote the chondrocyte cytocompatibility. PDL-LA substrates were activated by poly-(ethylenimine) to obtain stable positively charged surface. The polyelectrolytes such as alginate and poly-(l-lysine) were alternatively deposited onto the activated PDL-LA substrates. The multilayer-modified PDL-LA films were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, attenuated total reflection FTIR, contact angle and atomic force microscopy. The in vitro chondrocyte test indicated that the multilayer-modified PDL-LA substrates promoted chondrocyte attachment and growth. In comparison to conventional coating methods, polyelectrolyte multilayers are easy to prepare and the procedure is valid whatever the shape of the solid. It allows broad medical applications for drug delivery and tissue engineering.