Orthopedic robotic surgery: multiple analytical approaches and a bibliometric study of the top 100 most cited papers

Abstract

In the literature, three studies-each employing the Web of Science-bibliometrically analyzed orthopedic robotic surgery publications, identifying 224, 587, and 793 documents, respectively. We hypothesized that, based on a comprehensive search string, a larger set of publications exists in orthopedic robotic surgery than previously reported. Furthermore, scientometric analyses specifically focusing on the top 100 most influential articles in this field remain scarce. To test this hypothesis, Scopus was used for the first time in this domain. Three analytical approaches were applied: Title-Abstract-Keyword (TAK) analysis, abstract-based analysis, and title-based analysis. Compared with earlier Web of Science studies (224, 587, and 793 publications), the Scopus-based search retrieved substantially larger datasets: 1480 publications from title-only searches, 4851 from abstracts, and 8561 from TAK searches (articles and reviews only). For the first time, the top 100 most cited papers in orthopedic robotic surgery were bibliometrically analyzed with average age of 9.16 years and 134 citations per paper. Collectively, they involved 399 authors from 156 departments across 18 countries and were published in 47 journals. Leading contributors (authors, institutions, countries, sponsors, and sources) were identified. Citation-based indicators, annual publication output, and collaboration networks across authors, institutions, and countries were examined. Finally, uni-, bi-, and tri-gram analyses were employed to map the research focus of the top 100 most cited papers. This study demonstrated that Scopus retrieves substantially larger datasets in orthopedic robotic surgery than prior Web of Science analyses. The top 100 most cited papers in orthopedic robotic surgery focused on arthroplasty, spine interventions, and rehabilitation. Key themes included implant positioning and accuracy in hip and knee arthroplasty, precision in pedicle screw placement for spine surgery, and the role of robotic exoskeletons in gait rehabilitation.

Keywords: Bibliometric analysis; Highly cited papers; Orthopedic robotic surgery; Scopus database; Top contributors.