Acetabular fractures from Judet and Letournel to the present: Research trends and global outcomes with bibliometric analysis during 1980 to 2022

Fractures of the acetabulum are one of the most challenging injuries treated by orthopedic surgeons. However, a bibliometric analysis has not been performed in the literature on acetabular fractures, which seriously affect the quality of life of patients. The aim of this study was to summarize the bibliometric and intellectual structure, and determine and map the most recent trends on the topic of acetabular fractures by analyzing the social and structural relationships between the different research components of articles published on the acetabular fractures. 1599 articles on acetabular fractures published between 1980 and 2022 were extracted from the Web of Science (WoS) database and analyzed. Bibliometric visualization maps were used to reveal trending topics, citation analyses, and international collaborations. Spearman correlation analysis was performed for correlation investigations. The trend in the expected number of articles to be published over the next few years was displayed using the exponential smoothing estimator. The top 3 contributing countries to the literature were United States of America (USA) (551, 34.4%), China (170, 10.6%), and Germany (160, 10%). The most active author was Berton R. Moed (n = 29) and the most active institution was the University of California System (n = 41). A high-level statistically significant correlation was found between the number of articles on the topic of acetabular fractures published by nations and the gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP per capita values of those countries (R = 0.719, P < .001; R = 0.701, P < .001, respectively). The trending topics researched in recent years were 3D printing, 3-dimensional printing, outcomes, Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF), mortality, Kocher-Langenbeck, Pararectus approach, tranexamic acid, transfusion, epidemiology, fracture mapping, modified Stoppa approach, post-traumatic osteoarthritis, pelvis fracture, pelvic trauma, fracture reduction, and pelvic ring injury. The leading countries in research on the subject of acetabular fractures were seen to be western countries with large economies (especially the USA, European countries, and Canada) and China, India and Turkey.