Table 3. Characteristics of included studies.

Characteristics	No. of studies (n)	References
Year of publication
Before 1990	2	(Nichols, 1989; Welsh & Clodman, 1980)
1990–1999	3	(Benazzo, Todesca & Ceciliani, 1997; Chazan, 1998; Fredericson, 1996)
2000–2009	59	(Aldridge, 2004; Alfredson, 2003; Alfredson & Cook, 2007; Aronow, 2005; Azevedo et al., 2009; Bains & Porter, 2006; Barge-Caballero et al., 2008; Bjordal, Lopes-Martins & Iversen, 2006; Brown et al., 2006; Chester et al., 2008; Cook, Khan & Purdam, 2002; Courville, Coe & Hecht, 2009; Den Hartog, 2009; Furia & Rompe, 2007; Holmes & Lin, 2006; Hu & Flemister, 2008; Järvinen et al., 2001; Kader et al., 2002; Karjalainen et al., 2000; Khan et al., 2003; Knobloch, 2007; Knobloch et al., 2007; Knobloch et al., 2008; Lakshmanan & O’Doherty, 2004; Leung & Griffith, 2008; Lohrer & Nauck, 2009; Longo et al., 2009; Longo, Ronga & Maffulli, 2009; Maffulli & Kader, 2002; Maffulli et al., 2003; Maffulli et al., 2008; Maffulli, Sharma & Luscombe, 2004; Maffulli et al., 2008; Mafi, Lorentzon & Alfredson, 2001; Magnussen, Dunn & Thomson, 2009; Mayer et al., 2007; McShane, Ostick & McCabe, 2007; Neeter et al., 2003; Paavola et al., 2002; Paavola et al., 2002; Paavola et al., 2000; Paoloni et al., 2004; Petersen, Welp & Rosenbaum, 2007; Rasmussen et al., 2008; Reiter et al., 2004; Rompe, Furia & Maffulli, 2009; Rompe et al., 2008;Rompe et al., 2007; Roos et al., 2004; Ryan et al., 2009; Sayana & Maffulli, 2007; Sengkerij et al., 2009; Sharma & Maffulli, 2006; Silbernagel et al., 2007; Silbernagel et al., 2001; Simpson & Howard, 2009; Sorosky et al., 2004; Stergioulas et al., 2008; Tan & Chan, 2008)
2010–2019	79	(Hutchison et al., 2013; Reiman et al., 2014; Abate & Salini, 2019; Alfredson & Spang, 2018; Asplund & Best, 2013; Barker-Davies et al., 2017; Baskerville et al., 2018; Benito, 2016; Bhatty, Khan & Zubairy, 2019; Boesen et al., 2017; Borda & Selhorst, 2017; Carcia et al., 2010; Cassel et al., 2018; Cheng, Zhang & Cai, 2016; Chimenti et al., 2016; Chimenti et al., 2017; Coombes et al., 2018; Creaby et al., 2017; Crill, Berlet & Hyer, 2014; De Jonge et al., 2011; De Marchi et al., 2018; Divani et al., 2010; Docking et al., 2015; Duthon et al., 2011; Ebbesen et al., 2018; Eckenrode, Kietrys & Stackhouse, 2019; Feilmeier, 2017; Finnamore et al., 2019; Florit et al., 2019; Gärdin et al., 2016; Habets et al., 2017; Hernández-Sánchez et al., 2018; Horn & McCollum, 2015; Hutchison et al., 2011; Irwin, 2010; Jayaseelan, Weber & Jonely, 2019; Jewson et al., 2017; Jowett, Richmond & Bedi, 2018; Kragsnaes et al., 2014; Krogh et al., 2016; Maffulli, Giai Via & Oliva, 2015; Maffulli, Giuseppe Longo & Denaro, 2012; Maffulli et al., 2011; Maffulli et al., 2012; Maffulli et al., 2019; Maffulli, Via & Oliva, 2014; Mansur et al., 2019; Mansur et al., 2017; Martin et al., 2018; McCormack et al., 2015; Murawski et al., 2014; Nadeau et al., 2016; De Mesquita et al., 2018; O’Neill et al., 2019; Oloff et al., 2015; Ooi et al., 2015; Papa, 2012; Pedowitz & Beck, 2017; Pingel et al., 2013; Praet et al., 2018; Reid et al., 2012; Romero-Morales et al., 2019a; Saini et al., 2015; Santamato et al., 2019; Scholes et al., 2018; Scott, Huisman & Khan, 2011; Stenson et al., 2018; Syvertson et al., 2017; Thomas et al., 2010; Van Sterkenburg et al., 2011; Verrall, Schofield & Brustad, 2011; Von Wehren et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2012; Wei et al., 2017; Xu et al., 2019; Zellers et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2017; Zhuang et al., 2019; Romero-Morales et al., 2019b)
2020–2021	16	(Millar et al., 2021; Aiyegbusi, Tella & Sanusi, 2020; Chimenti et al., 2020; Gatz et al., 2020; Hasani et al., 2020; Jukes, Scott & Solan, 2020; Maffulli et al., 2020; Mantovani et al., 2020; Post et al., 2020; Rabello et al., 2020; Solomons et al., 2020; Turner et al., 2020; Vallance et al., 2020; Van der Vlist et al., 2020; Van der Vlist et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2020)
Type of publication
Clinical guidelines	3	(Carcia et al., 2010; Martin et al., 2018; Thomas et al., 2010)
Consensus statement	1	(Xu et al., 2019)
Systematic reviews	3	(Reiman et al., 2014; Hutchison et al., 2011; Magnussen, Dunn & Thomson, 2009)
RCT	20	(Bjordal, Lopes-Martins & Iversen, 2006; Boesen et al., 2017; Brown et al., 2006; Ebbesen et al., 2018; Gatz et al., 2020; Knobloch et al., 2007; Krogh et al., 2016; Mafi, Lorentzon & Alfredson, 2001; Mayer et al., 2007; Paoloni et al., 2004; Petersen, Welp & Rosenbaum, 2007; Rasmussen et al., 2008; Rompe, Furia & Maffulli, 2009; Rompe et al., 2008; Rompe et al., 2007; Roos et al., 2004; Silbernagel et al., 2001; Solomons et al., 2020; Stergioulas et al., 2008; Van der Vlist et al., 2020)
Cohort studies	31	(Alfredson & Spang, 2018; Barge-Caballero et al., 2008; Cheng, Zhang & Cai, 2016; Chester et al., 2008; Crill, Berlet & Hyer, 2014; Duthon et al., 2011; Florit et al., 2019; Jowett, Richmond & Bedi, 2018; Karjalainen et al., 2000; Khan et al., 2003; Knobloch, 2007; Knobloch et al., 2008; Maffulli et al., 2008; Mansur et al., 2019; McCormack et al., 2015; Murawski et al., 2014; O’Neill et al., 2019; Oloff et al., 2015; Paavola et al., 2002; Paavola et al., 2000; Sayana & Maffulli, 2007; Silbernagel et al., 2007; Stenson et al., 2018; Syvertson et al., 2017; Von Wehren et al., 2019; Wei et al., 2017; Welsh & Clodman, 1980; Zellers et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2020; Zhuang et al., 2019)
Case control studies	30	(Hutchison et al., 2013; Abate & Salini, 2019; Azevedo et al., 2009; Cassel et al., 2018; Chimenti et al., 2016; Chimenti et al., 2020; Coombes et al., 2018; Creaby et al., 2017; Eckenrode, Kietrys & Stackhouse, 2019; Gärdin et al., 2016; Hernández-Sánchez et al., 2018; Holmes & Lin, 2006; Jewson et al., 2017; Leung & Griffith, 2008; Lohrer & Nauck, 2009; Maffulli et al., 2003; Nadeau et al., 2016; Neeter et al., 2003; De Mesquita et al., 2018; Ooi et al., 2015; Pingel et al., 2013; Rabello et al., 2020; Reid et al., 2012; Reiter et al., 2004; Romero-Morales et al., 2019a; Ryan et al., 2009; Sengkerij et al., 2009; Verrall, Schofield & Brustad, 2011; Zhang et al., 2017; Romero-Morales et al., 2019b)
Cross-sectional studies	17	(Aiyegbusi, Tella & Sanusi, 2020; De Jonge et al., 2011; De Marchi et al., 2018; Divani et al., 2010; Docking et al., 2015; Finnamore et al., 2019; Kragsnaes et al., 2014; Longo et al., 2009; Maffulli et al., 2008; Mantovani et al., 2020; Praet et al., 2018; Santamato et al., 2019; Scholes et al., 2018; Turner et al., 2020; Vallance et al., 2020; Van der Vlist et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2012)
Narrative reviews	43	(Millar et al., 2021; Aldridge, 2004; Alfredson, 2003; Alfredson & Cook, 2007; Aronow, 2005; Asplund & Best, 2013; Bains & Porter, 2006; Baskerville et al., 2018; Benazzo, Todesca & Ceciliani, 1997; Bhatty, Khan & Zubairy, 2019; Chazan, 1998; Chimenti et al., 2017; Cook, Khan & Purdam, 2002; Courville, Coe & Hecht, 2009; Den Hartog, 2009; Feilmeier, 2017; Fredericson, 1996; Furia & Rompe, 2007; Horn & McCollum, 2015; Hu & Flemister, 2008; Irwin, 2010; Järvinen et al., 2001; Jukes, Scott & Solan, 2020; Kader et al., 2002; Longo, Ronga & Maffulli, 2009; Maffulli, Giai Via & Oliva, 2015; Maffulli, Giuseppe Longo & Denaro, 2012; Maffulli & Kader, 2002; Maffulli et al., 2020; Maffulli et al., 2012; Maffulli et al., 2019; Maffulli, Sharma & Luscombe, 2004; Maffulli, Via & Oliva, 2014; McShane, Ostick & McCabe, 2007; Nichols, 1989; Paavola et al., 2002; Pedowitz & Beck, 2017; Saini et al., 2015; Scott, Huisman & Khan, 2011; Sharma & Maffulli, 2006; Simpson & Howard, 2009; Sorosky et al., 2004; Tan & Chan, 2008)
Case reports	6	(Benito, 2016; Borda & Selhorst, 2017; Jayaseelan, Weber & Jonely, 2019; Maffulli et al., 2011; Papa, 2012; Van Sterkenburg et al., 2011)
Protocols	5	(Barker-Davies et al., 2017; Habets et al., 2017; Hasani et al., 2020; Mansur et al., 2017; Post et al., 2020)
Terminology
Tendon pain	2	(Neeter et al., 2003; Silbernagel et al., 2001)
Tendinitis	3	(Aldridge, 2004; Paavola et al., 2000; Welsh & Clodman, 1980)
Tendinosis	3	(Gärdin et al., 2016; Karjalainen et al., 2000; Wei et al., 2017)
Tendinopathy	144	(Millar et al., 2021; Hutchison et al., 2013; Reiman et al., 2014; Abate & Salini, 2019; Aiyegbusi, Tella & Sanusi, 2020; Alfredson, 2003; Alfredson & Cook, 2007; Alfredson & Spang, 2018; Aronow, 2005; Asplund & Best, 2013; Azevedo et al., 2009; Bains & Porter, 2006; Barge-Caballero et al., 2008; Barker-Davies et al., 2017; Baskerville et al., 2018; Benazzo, Todesca & Ceciliani, 1997; Benito, 2016; Bhatty, Khan & Zubairy, 2019; Bjordal, Lopes-Martins & Iversen, 2006; Boesen et al., 2017; Borda & Selhorst, 2017; Brown et al., 2006; Carcia et al., 2010; Cassel et al., 2018; Cheng, Zhang & Cai, 2016; Chester et al., 2008; Chimenti et al., 2016; Chimenti et al., 2017; Chimenti et al., 2020; Cook, Khan & Purdam, 2002; Coombes et al., 2018; Courville, Coe & Hecht, 2009; Creaby et al., 2017; Crill, Berlet & Hyer, 2014; De Jonge et al., 2011; De Marchi et al., 2018; Divani et al., 2010; Docking et al., 2015; Duthon et al., 2011; Ebbesen et al., 2018; Eckenrode, Kietrys & Stackhouse, 2019; Feilmeier, 2017; Finnamore et al., 2019; Florit et al., 2019; Furia & Rompe, 2007; Gatz et al., 2020; Habets et al., 2017; Hasani et al., 2020; Hernández-Sánchez et al., 2018; Holmes & Lin, 2006; Horn & McCollum, 2015; Hu & Flemister, 2008; Hutchison et al., 2011; Irwin, 2010; Järvinen et al., 2001; Jayaseelan, Weber & Jonely, 2019; Jewson et al., 2017; Jowett, Richmond & Bedi, 2018; Jukes, Scott & Solan, 2020; Kader et al., 2002; Khan et al., 2003; Knobloch, 2007; Knobloch et al., 2007; Knobloch et al., 2008; Kragsnaes et al., 2014; Krogh et al., 2016; Lakshmanan & O’Doherty, 2004; Leung & Griffith, 2008; Lohrer & Nauck, 2009; Longo et al., 2009; Longo, Ronga & Maffulli, 2009; Maffulli, Giai Via & Oliva, 2015; Maffulli, Giuseppe Longo & Denaro, 2012; Maffulli & Kader, 2002; Maffulli et al., 2003; Maffulli et al., 2011; Maffulli et al., 2020; Maffulli et al., 2012; Maffulli et al., 2008; Maffulli et al., 2019; Maffulli, Sharma & Luscombe, 2004; Maffulli, Via & Oliva, 2014; Maffulli et al., 2008; Mafi, Lorentzon & Alfredson, 2001; Magnussen, Dunn & Thomson, 2009; Mansur et al., 2019; Mansur et al., 2017; Mantovani et al., 2020; Martin et al., 2018; Mayer et al., 2007; McCormack et al., 2015; McShane, Ostick & McCabe, 2007; Murawski et al., 2014; Nadeau et al., 2016; De Mesquita et al., 2018; O’Neill et al., 2019; Oloff et al., 2015; Ooi et al., 2015; Paavola et al., 2002; Paavola et al., 2002; Paoloni et al., 2004; Papa, 2012; Petersen, Welp & Rosenbaum, 2007; Pingel et al., 2013; Post et al., 2020; Praet et al., 2018; Rabello et al., 2020; Rasmussen et al., 2008; Reid et al., 2012; Reiter et al., 2004; Romero-Morales et al., 2019a; Rompe, Furia & Maffulli, 2009; Rompe et al., 2008; Rompe et al., 2007; Roos et al., 2004; Ryan et al., 2009; Saini et al., 2015; Santamato et al., 2019; Sayana & Maffulli, 2007; Scholes et al., 2018; Sengkerij et al., 2009; Sharma & Maffulli, 2006; Silbernagel et al., 2007; Simpson & Howard, 2009; Solomons et al., 2020; Sorosky et al., 2004; Stenson et al., 2018; Stergioulas et al., 2008; Syvertson et al., 2017; Tan & Chan, 2008; Thomas et al., 2010; Turner et al., 2020; Vallance et al., 2020; Van der Vlist et al., 2020; Van der Vlist et al., 2020; Van Sterkenburg et al., 2011; Verrall, Schofield & Brustad, 2011; Von Wehren et al., 2019; Xu et al., 2019; Zellers et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2017; Zhang et al., 2020; Zhuang et al., 2019; Romero-Morales et al., 2019b)
Combined terminology	7	(Chazan, 1998; Den Hartog, 2009; Fredericson, 1996; Nichols, 1989; Pedowitz & Beck, 2017; Scott, Huisman & Khan, 2011; Wang et al., 2012)
Tendinopathy location
Insertional	21	(Aldridge, 2004; Benazzo, Todesca & Ceciliani, 1997; Benito, 2016; Cheng, Zhang & Cai, 2016; Chimenti et al., 2016; Chimenti et al., 2017; Den Hartog, 2009; Hu & Flemister, 2008; Irwin, 2010; Maffulli et al., 2019; Mansur et al., 2019; Mansur et al., 2017; McCormack et al., 2015; Rompe et al., 2008; Stenson et al., 2018; Thomas et al., 2010; Wei et al., 2017; Xu et al., 2019; Zellers et al., 2019; Zhang et al., 2020; Zhuang et al., 2019)
Midportion	83	(Hutchison et al., 2013; Reiman et al., 2014; Abate & Salini, 2019; Alfredson, 2003; Alfredson & Cook, 2007; Azevedo et al., 2009; Bains & Porter, 2006; Boesen et al., 2017; Borda & Selhorst, 2017; Brown et al., 2006; Carcia et al., 2010; Chester et al., 2008; Courville, Coe & Hecht, 2009; Creaby et al., 2017; Crill, Berlet & Hyer, 2014; De Jonge et al., 2011; De Marchi et al., 2018; Divani et al., 2010; Duthon et al., 2011; Feilmeier, 2017; Finnamore et al., 2019; Gärdin et al., 2016; Habets et al., 2017; Hasani et al., 2020; Hutchison et al., 2011; Järvinen et al., 2001; Jayaseelan, Weber & Jonely, 2019; Jowett, Richmond & Bedi, 2018; Kader et al., 2002; Knobloch et al., 2008; Krogh et al., 2016; Lakshmanan & O’Doherty, 2004; Lohrer & Nauck, 2009; Longo, Ronga & Maffulli, 2009; Maffulli, Giuseppe Longo & Denaro, 2012; Maffulli & Kader, 2002; Maffulli et al., 2003; Maffulli et al., 2011; Maffulli et al., 2008; Maffulli, Sharma & Luscombe, 2004; Maffulli, Via & Oliva, 2014; Maffulli et al., 2008; Mafi, Lorentzon & Alfredson, 2001; Magnussen, Dunn & Thomson, 2009; Martin et al., 2018; Mayer et al., 2007; McShane, Ostick & McCabe, 2007; Murawski et al., 2014; Nadeau et al., 2016; Neeter et al., 2003; O’Neill et al., 2019; Paavola et al., 2002; Paavola et al., 2002; Paavola et al., 2000; Paoloni et al., 2004; Papa, 2012; Petersen, Welp & Rosenbaum, 2007; Pingel et al., 2013; Praet et al., 2018; Reid et al., 2012; Romero-Morales et al., 2019a; Rompe, Furia & Maffulli, 2009; Rompe et al., 2007; Roos et al., 2004; Ryan et al., 2009; Santamato et al., 2019; Sayana & Maffulli, 2007; Scholes et al., 2018; Scott, Huisman & Khan, 2011; Sengkerij et al., 2009; Sharma & Maffulli, 2006; Silbernagel et al., 2007; Simpson & Howard, 2009; Solomons et al., 2020; Stergioulas et al., 2008; Syvertson et al., 2017; Tan & Chan, 2008; Van der Vlist et al., 2020; Van der Vlist et al., 2020; Van Sterkenburg et al., 2011; Von Wehren et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2012; Romero-Morales et al., 2019b)
Both	35	(Alfredson & Spang, 2018; Aronow, 2005; Asplund & Best, 2013; Barker-Davies et al., 2017; Bhatty, Khan & Zubairy, 2019; Chazan, 1998; Chimenti et al., 2020; Cook, Khan & Purdam, 2002; Coombes et al., 2018; Docking et al., 2015; Eckenrode, Kietrys & Stackhouse, 2019; Fredericson, 1996; Furia & Rompe, 2007; Gatz et al., 2020; Hernández-Sánchez et al., 2018; Horn & McCollum, 2015; Jukes, Scott & Solan, 2020; Karjalainen et al., 2000; Khan et al., 2003; Knobloch, 2007; Knobloch et al., 2007; Kragsnaes et al., 2014; Maffulli, Giai Via & Oliva, 2015; Maffulli et al., 2020; Ooi et al., 2015; Pedowitz & Beck, 2017; Post et al., 2020; Rabello et al., 2020; Reiter et al., 2004; Saini et al., 2015; Turner et al., 2020; Vallance et al., 2020; Verrall, Schofield & Brustad, 2011; Welsh & Clodman, 1980; Zhang et al., 2017)
Not specified	20	(Millar et al., 2021; Aiyegbusi, Tella & Sanusi, 2020; Barge-Caballero et al., 2008; Baskerville et al., 2018; Bjordal, Lopes-Martins & Iversen, 2006; Cassel et al., 2018; Ebbesen et al., 2018; Florit et al., 2019; Holmes & Lin, 2006; Jewson et al., 2017; Leung & Griffith, 2008; Longo et al., 2009; Maffulli et al., 2012; Mantovani et al., 2020; Nichols, 1989; De Mesquita et al., 2018; Oloff et al., 2015; Rasmussen et al., 2008; Silbernagel et al., 2001; Sorosky et al., 2004)

Note:

n, number; RCT, randomised controlled trial.