Global scientific production in the field of knee arthroplasty: A cross-sectional survey of research activities

Objective To determine the quantity and quality of articles in the field of knee arthroplasty worldwide and elucidate the characteristics of global scientific production. Methods Web of Science was used to identify articles in the field of knee arthroplasty from 2011 to 2015. The total number of papers, number of papers per capita, total number of citations, and mean number of citations were collected. Results In total, 11,590 papers were identified. The number of publications significantly increased from 2011 to 2015. Most originated from North America, East Asia, and West Europe. Most (88.51%) were from high-income countries, 11.48% were from middle-income countries, and only 0.01% were from lower-income countries. The United States had the most articles and total citations. Sweden had the highest mean citations, followed by Denmark and Canada. However, when adjusted by population size, Denmark had the most articles per million population, followed by Switzerland and the Netherlands. Conclusions The number of knee arthroplasty publications has rapidly increased in recent years. The United States is the most prolific, but some European countries are more productive relative to their population.