Table 1 Search strategies as devised for each of the searched databases

PubMed

(Septic Arthritis[tiab] OR Suppurative Arthritis[tiab] OR infect* Arthritis[tiab] OR Pyogenic Arthritis[tiab] OR Bacterial Arthritis[tiab] OR Arthritis, Infectious[MeSH]) AND (Arthrotomy[tiab] OR Open[tiab] OR Arthroscop*[tiab] OR Arthroscopy[MeSH]) AND (Knee*[tiab] OR Knee Joint[MeSH] OR Knee[MeSH])

MEDLINE (1946 onwards)

#1(Septic Arthritis or Suppurative Arthritis or infect* Arthritis or Pyogenic Arthritis or Bacterial Arthritis).mp

#2infectious arthritis.mp. or exp *Arthritis, Infectious/

#3(Arthroscop* or Arthrotomy or Open).mp

#4arthroscopy.mp. or exp *Arthroscopy/

#5exp *Knee/ or exp *Knee Joint/ or knee.mp

#61 or 2

#73 or 4

#85 and 6 and 7

Embase (1980 onwards)

#1(Septic Arthritis or Suppurative Arthritis or infect* Arthritis or Pyogenic Arthritis or Bacterial Arthritis).mp

#2limit 1 to abstracts

#3exp *infectious arthritis/

#4(Arthroscop* or Arthrotomy or Open).mp

#5limit 4 to abstracts

#6exp *arthroscopy/

#7Knee.mp. or exp *knee/

#82 or 3

#95 or 6

#107 and 8 and 9

Cochrane

#1Septic Arthritis OR Suppurative Arthritis OR infect* Arthritis OR Pyogenic Arthritis OR Bacterial Arthritis:ti,ab,kw

#2Arthritis, Infectious

#3Arthroscop* OR Arthrotomy OR Open:ti,ab,kw

#4Arthroscopy

#5Knee*:ti,ab,kw

#6Knee37105

#7Knee joint

#8#1 OR #2

#9#3 OR #4

#10#5 OR #6

#11#7 AND #8 AND #9

Web of Science (1900 onwards)

#1 ((((AB = (septic arthritis)) OR AB = (suppurative arthritis)) OR AB = (infectious arthritis)) OR AB = (pyogenic arthritis)) OR AB = (bacterial arthritis)

#2 (((AB = (arthrotomy)) OR AB = (open)) OR AB = (arthrosc*)) OR AB = (arthroscopy)

#3 (AB = (knee)) OR AB = (knee joint)

#4 #1 AND #2 AND #3

Scopus

TITLE-ABS-KEY ( ( septic AND arthritis OR suppurative AND arthritis OR infect* AND arthritis OR pyogenic AND arthritis OR bacterial AND arthritis OR arthritis, AND infectious) AND ( arthrotomy OR open OR arthroscop* OR arthroscopy) AND ( knee* OR knee AND joint OR knee))