A homogeneous gel composition that is stable to inversion and can adhere to cartilage tissue, the gel comprising an amphiphilic gelator having a molecular weight of less than 2,500 Da and a cationic agent that have co-self-assembled or associated to form the gel, the gel being stable to inversion when contained in an inverted vial at room temperature, wherein the cationic agent is present in an amount greater than 10% by dry weight in a combined mass of the amphiphilic gelator and the cationic agent or is at least 0.08 mg/mL of the gel composition, and wherein the cationic agent electrostatically interacts or associates with one or more components of a cartilage tissue to enhance adhesion of the homogeneous gel to the cartilage tissue, compared with a control gel composition lacking the cationic agent, and wherein (i) the gelator, the cationic agent, or both are compounds meeting the requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) compounds; (ii) the gelator is selected from the group consisting of ascorbyl alkanoate, sorbitan alkanoate, triglycerol monoalkanoate, sucrose alkanoate, and combinations thereof; and/or (iii) the cationic agent is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane, 1,2-dioleyloxy-3-trimethylammonium propane chloride, chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan, N-acyl chitosan, quaternized chitosan, alkyl chitosan, carboxy alkyl or aryl chitosan, O-carboxyalkyl chitosan, N-carboxyacyl chitosan, thiolated chitosan, sugar derivatives of chitosan, cationic starch, cationic cellulose, cationic amylopectin, cationic galactan, and cationic dextran. wherein the cationic agent is present in an amount greater than 10% by dry weight in a combined mass of the amphiphilic gelator and the cationic agent or is at least 0.08 mg/mL of the gel composition, and wherein the cationic agent electrostatically interacts or associates with one or more components of a cartilage tissue to enhance adhesion of the homogeneous gel to the cartilage tissue, compared with a control gel composition lacking the cationic agent, and wherein (i) the gelator, the cationic agent, or both are compounds meeting the requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) compounds; (ii) the gelator is selected from the group consisting of ascorbyl alkanoate, sorbitan alkanoate, triglycerol monoalkanoate, sucrose alkanoate, and combinations thereof; and/or (iii) the cationic agent is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane, 1,2-dioleyloxy-3-trimethylammonium propane chloride, chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan, N-acyl chitosan, quaternized chitosan, alkyl chitosan, carboxy alkyl or aryl chitosan, O-carboxyalkyl chitosan, N-carboxyacyl chitosan, thiolated chitosan, sugar derivatives of chitosan, cationic starch, cationic cellulose, cationic amylopectin, cationic galactan, and cationic dextran. (i) the gelator, the cationic agent, or both are compounds meeting the requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) compounds; (ii) the gelator is selected from the group consisting of ascorbyl alkanoate, sorbitan alkanoate, triglycerol monoalkanoate, sucrose alkanoate, and combinations thereof; and/or (iii) the cationic agent is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane, 1,2-dioleyloxy-3-trimethylammonium propane chloride, chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan, N-acyl chitosan, quaternized chitosan, alkyl chitosan, carboxy alkyl or aryl chitosan, O-carboxyalkyl chitosan, N-carboxyacyl chitosan, thiolated chitosan, sugar derivatives of chitosan, cationic starch, cationic cellulose, cationic amylopectin, cationic galactan, and cationic dextran.