Abstract: [Background] In recent years, the surgical method of high tibial osteotomy has become an important part of the stepped treatment of knee osteoarthritis. As an important part of postoperative rehabilitation, functional exercise is closely related to the effect of surgical treatment. [Objectives] To compare and analyze the best choice of rehabilitation exercise in different periods after HTO, so as to provide reference and guidance for the concept of "knee protection" and the promotion of HTO surgery. [Methods] PubMed, Wanfang and CNKI databases published from 2008 to 2020 were retrieved by the first author. The key words were “high tibial osteotomy, functional exercise, rehabilitation, knee osteoarthritis” in English and Chinese. Manual screening was carried out according to the inclusion criteria, and the literatures with poor correlation with the topic, repetitive and obsolete were excluded, and finally 30 articles were included. [Results and Conclusion] (1) HTO can effectively relieve knee pain, correct limb deformity caused by osteoarthritis, and restore joint range of motion. Compared with the artificial joint replacement of "knee replacement", the indication of the high tibial osteotomy is broader and more suitable for young patients. It inherits the traditional Chinese medical theory of "solid skeleton and pliable tendons". (2) For the patients with rehabilitation exercise after HTO, the principle of stage-by-stage and early exercise should be reflected. Starting from muscle strength training, joint range of motion training and aerobic exercise, the step-by-step rehabilitation treatment program should be applied to every stage of postoperative rehabilitation. (3) The specific time for the development of various rehabilitation exercises after operation has not reached a complete unity, which still needs to be discussed and practiced in clinic in the future.