Characteristics of orthopedic research originating from Turkey

The present study aimed to highlight the quantity, research type, subject, evidence level, and publication patterns of scientific articles published in Turkey in the last 10 years. All scientific articles related to orthopedics and traumatology in the PubMed database from Turkey during the period from 01.01.2010 to 31.12.2019 were searched. Distribution of the articles based on subjects, journals, publication year, and yearly numbers was organized in tables and illustrated as graphics. The articles were categorized under six main groups: clinical studies, experimental studies, review articles, epidemiological studies, letters to the editor, and technical notes. The quality of the articles was evaluated based on the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine System (Centre for evidence-Based Medicine, Oxford University Levels of evidence and grades of recommendation). The impact factor, scope, and indexing of the journals were evaluated using the data in the Journal Citation Report, Thompson Scientific Journal Citation Reports, and National Library of Medicine Report. The study covered 1,873 articles. There were 1,251 clinical studies (250 prospective, 629 retrospective, and 366 case study/case series), 293 were experimental studies (160 animal, 68 biomechanical, 34 cadaver and 31 cell cultures), 140 were review articles, 40 were epidemiological studies and 54 were letters to the editor. The most common subjects of the articles were trauma (n = 411, 23.5%), miscellaneous (basic science, practice management, osteoarthritis and rehabilitation medicine) (n = 331, 17.6%) and sports medicine-arthroscopy (n = 184, 9.8%). Based on the quality, most of the clinical studies were in Level IV (n = 768, 61.3%), followed by Level III (n = 233, 18.6%,), Level II (n = 204, 16.3%,) and Level I (n = 46, 3.7%). The highest number of articles were published in Acta Orthopaedica et Traumatologica Turcica journal (n = 376, 20%), followed by Joint Diseases and Related Surgery (n = 310, 16.6%) and Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy (n = 48, 2.6%). Although there have been significant scientific advances in the field of orthopedics and traumatology and an increase in the number of relevant scientific publications in Turkey in recent years, the quality of publications seems to be minimal. Turkey is on track to reach the level of countries considered to be advanced in the world of science, and Turkish scientists should make efforts to improve the quality of publications. Science-based investments could foster such an aim.

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Medicine Science-Cover
  • ISSN: 2147-0634
  • Yayın Aralığı: Yılda 4 Sayı
  • Başlangıç: 2012
  • Yayıncı: Effect Publishing Agency ( EPA )