Skip to main content
. 2018 Dec 24;115(51-52):855–862. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2018.0855

eTable 1. Search strategy by the example of Ovid Medline.

Step Search terms Number of studies
1 ((anterior adj2 cruciate* adj2 ligament*) or acl).mp. 22 238
2 Surgical Procedures, Operative/ 53 971
3 Orthopedics/ 19 821
4 Traumatology/ 3246
5 Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction/ 3499
6 Orthopedic Fixation Devices/ 5020
7 Suture Techniques/ 42 233
8 Orthopedic Procedures/ 23 861
9 Arthroscopy/ 22 300
10 (surg* or operat* or reconstruct* or repair* or graft* or arthroscop*).mp. 3 872 087
11 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 or 10 3 887 896
12 Physical Therapy Modalities/ 37 140
13 orthotic devices/ 6614
14 braces/ 5523
15 (non-surg* or nonsurg* or non-operat* or nonoperat* or conserv* or rehab* or physiotherapy or physical therapy or brace* or exercis* or cast*1).mp. 1 351 837
16 12 or 13 or 14 or 15 1 354 925
17 1 and 11 and 16 3797
18 Randomized controlled trial.pt. 917 153
19 controlled clinical trial.pt. 182 849
20 randomized.ab. 819 780
21 randomly.ab. 499 737
22 placebo.ab. 409 265
23 clinical trials as topic/ 217 662
24 trial.ti. 416 417
25 cohort studies/ 233 803
26 (random* or RCT or placebo or allocat* or crossover* or ‚cross over‘ or trial or (doubl* adj1 blind*) or (singl* adj1 blind*)).ti,ab. 2 300 780
27 18 or 19 or 20 or 21 or 22 or 23 or 24 or 25 or 26 2 883 698
28 (Animal or Animals* or „not Humans*“ or Human cell* or Nonhuman* or non-human*).mp. 7 219 240
29 27 not 28 2 064 766
30 17 and 29 755
31 remove duplicates from 30 720