Long- and short-term effectiveness of traditional Chinese exercises in improving the overall physical capacity of patients with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The increasing global popularity of traditional Chinese exercise (TCE) provides substantial evidence of its significant efficacy in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA). To assess the impact of different types of TCE and varying exercise durations on KOA patients, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on this topic.

Methods: Two investigators extensively searched four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science) from their inception until December 16, 2023, to identify all relevant RCTs on the use of TCE for KOA treatment. The included studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool (CCRBT), and data analysis was performed using Stata 15.0.

Results: A total of 20 RCTs, involving 1367 patients with KOA, met the inclusion criteria. Compared to the control group, TCE demonstrated significant improvement in three subscale scores of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) [Pain (SMD = -0.44; P = .0001); Stiffness (SMD = -0.35; P = .001); Physical function (SMD = -0.52; P = .0001)] and two subscale scores of the 36-item Short-Form (SF-36) [Physical score (WMD = 2.76; P = .001); Mental score (WMD = 2.49; P = .0001)] in KOA patients. Subgroup analysis showed that both long-term habitual exercise (over 12 weeks) and short-term exercise (within 12 weeks) were more effective than the control group in improving pain, joint stiffness, and physical function in KOA patients. Tai Chi, among the four TCE modalities analyzed, demonstrated improvements in all indicators.

Conclusion: Based on the results of our meta-analysis, it can be concluded that both long-term and short-term TCE interventions are effective in alleviating the main symptoms of KOA and improving patients' physical function. However, due to limited methodological quality and inconsistent outcome measures in the included RCTs, further high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes and longer-term interventions are necessary to validate our findings before TCE can be recommended as a treatment for KOA.