Study	Reason for exclusion
Agas 2006	Study did not randomise participants.
Altman 1993	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated
Alvarez 2003	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Apelqvist 1990	Relevant outcome data are not reported: study outcome was limited to change in size of necrotic material on the wound. Study authors were unable to provide the original healing outcome data.
Apelqvist 1996	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
Apelqvist 2004	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
Armstrong 2004	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
Belcaro 2010	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Blackman 1994	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Bogaert 2004	Study did not randomise participants.
Bradshaw 1989	Trial stopped after recruiting six participants. No data presented. Authors not contacted for healing data.
Caravaggi 2003	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Chang 2000	Study did not include diabetic foot ulcers.
Chauhan 2003	Other intervention, not dressings, differ between trial arms
Chirwa 2010	Study did not randomise participants.
Clever 1996	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Cuevas 2007	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
D'Hemecourt 1998	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Dash 2009	Other intervention, not dressings, differ between trial arms
Diehm 2005	Study did not randomise participants.
Driver 2006	Other intervention, not dressings, differs between trial arms.
Edmonds 2009	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Eginton 2003	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
Etoz 2003	Study did not randomise participants.
Farac 1999	Author contacted: study not suitable for inclusion due to data quality issues.
Foo 2004	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Foster 1999	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Gao 2007	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Gentzkow 1996	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Gottrup 2011	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Hanft 2002	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Jeffcoate 2009	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Jeffery 2008	Study did not randomise participants.
Jensen 1998	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Kordestani 2008	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Landsman 2010	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Lazaro‐Martinez 2007	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
Lipkin 2003	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Markevich 2000	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Marston 2001	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Mazzone 1993	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
McCallon 2000	Study did not randomise participants.
Mody 2008	Study did not include diabetic foot ulcers.
Moretti 2009	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Mueller 1989	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Mulder 1994	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Munter 2006	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Novinscak 2010	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
Ogce 2007	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Palao i Domenech 2008	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Parish 2009	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Pham 1999	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Piaggesi 1997	Study did not randomise participants.
Piaggesi 2001	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Reyzelman 2009	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
Roberts 2001	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Robson 2005	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Robson 2009	Study did not include diabetic foot ulcers.
Sabolinski 2000	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Sabolinski 2001	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Shaw 2010	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Shukrimi 2008	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Sibbald 2011	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Solway 2011	Study did not randomise participants.
Steed 1992	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Steed 1995	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Steed 1996	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Subrahmanyam 1993	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings
Teot 2008	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Trial 2010	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Turns 2012	Study did not randomise participants
Urbaneie 1999	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
Vandeputte 1997	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Varma 2006	No single, identifiable dressing type evaluated.
Veves 2001	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Veves 2002	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Whalley 2001	The dressings groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Woo 2010	The dressing groups evaluated in this study were not alginate dressings.
Yao 2007	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.
Zimny 2003	Other intervention, not dressings, differed between trial arms.

Abbreviations

DFU = diabetic foot ulcer (patients)