Table 1 Search query, Boolean operators and search results in the databases PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane
PubMed | Search string | Limits | Number of records |
#1 | (Achilles Tendon[mh] OR “Achilles tendon” [tiab] OR “Achilles tendons”[tiab] OR “Calcaneal Tendon”[tiab] OR “Calcaneal Tendons”[tiab] OR “Tendo calcaneus”[tiab]) | 12 515 | |
#2 | (chronic*[tiab] OR neglect*[tiab] OR miss*[tiab] OR delay*[tiab]) | 2 204 598 | |
#3 | #1 AND #2 | 1 750 | |
#4 | (Rupture[mh] OR rupture[tiab] OR ruptures[tiab] OR tear*[tiab]) | 192 888 | |
#5 | (Treatment Outcome[mh] OR treatment[tiab] OR therapy[tiab] OR outcome*[tiab] OR “clinical efficacy” [tiab] OR “clinical effectiveness” [tiab] OR complication*[tiab] OR re-rupture*[tiab] OR rerupture*[tiab]) | 8 235 689 | |
#6 | #3 AND #4 AND #5 | 526 | |
Scopus | Search string | Limits | Number of records |
#1 | TITLE-ABS-KEY ("Achilles tendon" OR "Achilles tendons" OR "Calcaneal Tendon" OR "Calcaneal Tendons" OR "Tendo calcaneus") | 16 771 | |
#2 | TITLE-ABS-KEY (chronic* OR neglect* OR miss* OR delay*) | 4 433 517 | |
#3 | #1 AND #2 | 2 439 | |
#4 | TITLE-ABS-KEY (rupture OR ruptures OR tear*) | 387 825 | |
#5 | TITLE-ABS-KEY (treatment OR therapy OR outcome* OR “clinical efficacy” OR “clinical effectiveness” OR complication* OR re-rupture* OR rerupture*) | 14 409 980 | |
#6 | #3 AND #4 AND #5 | 803 | |
#7 | #3 AND #4 AND #5 | Limit to: Article, Review | 762 |
Cochrane | Search string | Limits | Number of records |
#1 | ("Achilles tendon" OR "Achilles tendons" OR "Calcaneal Tendon" OR "Calcaneal Tendons" OR "Tendo calcaneus"):ti,ab,kw | 1004 | |
#2 | (chronic* OR neglect* OR miss* OR delay*):ti,ab,kw | 232 193 | |
#3 | #1 AND #2 | 206 | |
#4 | (Rupture OR ruptures OR tear*):ti,ab,kw | 13 308 | |
#5 | (Treatment OR therapy OR outcome* OR “clinical efficacy” OR “clinical effectiveness” OR complication* OR re-rupture* OR rerupture*):ti,ab,kw | 1 344 590 | |
#6 | #3 AND #4 AND #5 | 31 | |
#7 | #3 AND #4 AND #5 | Limit to: Trials | 30 |