Objective To investigate the role of circular RNA hsa_circ_0017247 in osteosarcoma cell invasion and migration. Methods Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of hsa_circ_0017247 in the matched osteosarcoma and adjacent tissues, as well as in Saos-2 and hFOB1.19 cells. The correlation between its expression and the clinicopathological parameters of osteosarcoma was analyzed using Fisher exact probability test. After knockdown of hsa_circ_0017247 by siRNA in Saos-2 cells, qRT-PCR was conducted to detect the transfection efficiency. TranswellTM invasion and migration assays were performed to evaluate the changes in cell invasion and migration. The mRNA and protein levels of E-cadherin and N-cadherin in the Saos-2 cells were tested by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Results Compared with the adjacent tissues, hsa_circ_0017247 was highly expressed in the osteosarcoma tissues. Osteosarcoma with high expression of hsa_circ_0017247 had a higher clinical stage and metastasis rate. Highly expressed hsa_circ_0017247 was found in the Saos-2 cells as compared with the hFOB1.19 cells. The hsa_circ_0017247 significantly decreased after siRNA transfection in the Saos-2 cells, and silencing hsa_circ_0017247 inhibited the invasion and migration of the Saos-2 cells. Moreover, silencing hsa_circ_0017247 also promoted the expression of E-cadherin, but inhibited the expression of N-cadherin. Conclusion High expression of hsa_circ_0017247 enhances osteosarcoma cell invasion and migration through accelerating epithelial mesenchymal transformation.