**2. Methods**

This umbrella review with meta-analysis was performed according to guidelines provided by the working group of Aromataris et al. [12], whereas the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) updated statement guidelines were followed [13].

#### **2.1 Search strategy**

The main author (AP) performed a literature search on the PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science online-based databases. The search syntaxes (including keywords) were as follows:

Search: (motor imagery OR mental simulation OR imagery) AND (total knee replacement OR total knee arthroplasty) AND (physical function OR strength OR rehabilitation outcomes) AND (systematic review OR literature review OR metaanalysis).

((("motor"[All Fields] OR "motor s"[All Fields] OR "motoric"[All Fields] OR "motorically"[All Fields] OR "motorics"[All Fields] OR "motoring"[All Fields] OR "motorisation"[All Fields] OR "motorized"[All Fields] OR "motorization"[All Fields] OR "motorized"[All Fields] OR "motors"[All Fields]) AND ("imageries"[All Fields] OR "imagery, psychotherapy"[MeSH Terms] OR ("imagery"[All Fields] AND "psychotherapy"[All Fields]) OR "psychotherapy imagery"[All Fields] OR "imagery"[All Fields])) OR (("mental"[All Fields] OR "mentalities"[All Fields] OR "mentality"[All Fields] OR "mentalization"[MeSH Terms] OR "mentalization"[All Fields] OR "mentalizing"[All Fields] OR "mentalize"[All Fields] OR "mentalized"[All Fields] OR "mentally"[All Fields]) AND ("computer simulation"[MeSH Terms] OR ("computer"[All Fields] AND "simulation"[All Fields]) OR "computer simulation"[All Fields] OR "simulation"[All Fields] OR "simul"[All Fields] OR "simulate"[All Fields] OR "simulated"[All Fields] OR "simulates"[All Fields] OR "simulating"[All Fields] OR "simulation s"[All Fields] OR "simulational"[All Fields] OR "simulations"[All Fields] OR "simulative"[All Fields] OR "simulator"[All Fields] OR "simulator s"[All Fields] OR "simulators"[All Fields])) OR ("imageries"[All Fields] OR "imagery, psychotherapy"[MeSH Terms] OR ("imagery"[All Fields] AND "psychotherapy"[All Fields]) OR "psychotherapy imagery"[All Fields] OR "imagery"[All Fields])) AND ("arthroplasty, replacement, knee"[MeSH Terms] OR ("arthroplasty"[All Fields] AND "replacement"[All Fields] AND "knee"[All Fields]) OR "knee replacement arthroplasty"[All Fields] OR ("total"[All Fields] AND "knee"[All Fields] AND "replacement"[All Fields]) OR "total knee replacement"[All Fields] OR ("arthroplasty, replacement, knee"[MeSH Terms] OR ("arthroplasty"[All Fields] AND "replacement"[All Fields] AND "knee"[All Fields]) OR "knee replacement arthroplasty"[All Fields] OR ("total"[All Fields] AND "knee"[All Fields] AND "arthroplasty"[All Fields]) OR "total knee arthroplasty"[All Fields])) AND ((("physical examination"[MeSH Terms] OR ("physical"[All Fields] AND "examination"[All Fields]) OR "physical examination"[All Fields] OR "physical"[All Fields] OR "physically"[All Fields] OR "physicals"[All Fields]) AND ("functional"[All Fields]

OR "functional s"[All Fields] OR "functionalities"[All Fields] OR "functionality"[All Fields] OR "functionalization"[All Fields] OR "functionalizations"[All Fields] OR "functionalize"[All Fields] OR "functionalized"[All Fields] OR "functionalizes"[All Fields] OR "functionalizing"[All Fields] OR "functionally"[All Fields] OR "functionals"[All Fields] OR "functioned"[All Fields] OR "functioning"[All Fields] OR "functionings"[All Fields] OR "functions"[All Fields] OR "physiology"[MeSH Subheading] OR "physiology"[All Fields] OR "function"[All Fields] OR "physiology"[MeSH Terms])) OR ("strength"[All Fields] OR "strengths"[All Fields]) OR (("rehabilitant"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitants"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitate"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitated"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitates"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitating"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitation"[MeSH Terms] OR "rehabilitation"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitations"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitative"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitation"[MeSH Subheading] OR "rehabilitation s"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitational"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitator"[All Fields] OR "rehabilitators"[All Fields]) AND ("outcome"[All Fields] OR "outcomes"[All Fields]))) AND ("systematic review"[Publication Type] OR "systematic reviews as topic"[MeSH Terms] OR "systematic review"[All Fields] OR ("review"[Publication Type] OR "review literature as topic"[MeSH Terms] OR "literature review"[All Fields]) OR ("meta analysis"[Publication Type] OR "meta analysis as topic"[MeSH Terms] OR "meta analysis"[All Fields]))
