Traditional Chinese exercise ("TCE" management modalities), including but not limited to Tai Chi, Baduanjin, and Yijinjing, has a good effect on improving the physical function of patients with knee osteoarthritis, but less attention has been paid to the impact on the psychological health of patients, and currently there is insufficient evidence to support it. We conducted this study to provide a systematic synthesis of best evidence regarding the physical and mental health of patients with knee osteoarthritis treated by traditional Chinese exercise. Literature on the effectiveness of traditional Chinese exercise (Tai Chi, Baduanjin, Yijinjing, Qigong, etc) versus conventional therapy (muscle-strength training of the lower extremity and aerobic training, wellness education, quadriceps strengthening exercises, etc) on Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), visual analog scale (VAS), Short Form-36 (SF-36), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) from Pubmed, Web of Science, Ovid Technologies, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), Wanfang Database, and SinoMed were collected from their inception to April 2022. Thirty-three studies with 2,621 cases were included in this study. The study's results indicated that compared with conventional therapy, traditional Chinese exercise had more advantages on patients' WOMAC score, significantly reducing patients' overall WOMAC score (SMD -0.99; 95% CI -1.38 to -0.60; p < 0.00001) and relieving pain (SMD -0.76; 95% CI -1.11 to -0.40; p < 0.0001) in patients with KOA. It also has advantages over conventional therapy in improving mental component score (MCS) (SMD 0.32; 95% CI -0.00, 0.65; p = 0.05) and physical component score (PCS) (SMD 0.34; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.62; p = 0.02). Compared with conventional therapy, traditional Chinese exercise can significantly reduce the effect on Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) score (SMD -0.30; 95% CI -0.50 to -0.11; p = 0.002), beck depression inventory (DBI) score (SMD -0.62; 95% CI -1.03 to -0.22; p = 0.002), and increase the impact on Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score (SMD 0.60; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.83; p < 0.00001). The findings of this study indicated that traditional Chinese exercise improved body function and mental health in patients with knee osteoarthritis significantly. More high-quality clinical evidence-based data was needed to confirm the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese exercise on the physical and mental health in KOA patients.

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