The Influence of Geographic Region on Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Literature From 1988 to 2018
SaTia T. Sinclair, DO, MPH, Ahmed K. Emara, MD, Melissa N. Orr, BS, Alison K. Klika, MS, and Nicolas S. Piuzzi, MDcorresponding authorHip Knee
Total joint arthroplasty constitutes a major focus of publications within orthopaedics. Because research expands and investigators from around the world contribute, it is important to understand the dynamics of publication.
Methods:
PubMed was queried for hip and knee arthroplasty-related articles published between 1988 and 2018 within seven orthopaedic journals. A bibliometric analysis was done. The manuscript region of origin was determined by the affiliated country of the last author and used to examine trends in publication.
Results:
A total of 6,160 publications were included. Forty-eight countries from six continents were identified. The quantity of arthroplasty-related publications increased over the study period (n = 246 in 1988 and n = 1,247 in 2018, P < 0.01). Articles were primarily published by North America (51.9%), Europe (32.5%), and Asia (12.4%). Clinical trials accounted for 45.6% of all publications. Articles from Asia received fewer citations than those from North America, Europe, and Oceania (P < 0.001).
Discussion:
The volume of publications was five times greater in 2018 than in 1988, yet international articles constitute a marginal proportion of annual publications. Most of the literature (84.4%) originated from North America and Europe. Balanced publication of international research may favor global communication of findings, increasing the spectrum of available evidence applicable worldwide.
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