Clubfoot from past to the present: A bibliometric analysis with global productivity and research trends

Abstract

Clubfoot, a common congenital abnormality, affects the lower extremities; however, the literature search revealed no bibliometric research on this subject. Thus, we aimed to holistically analyze scientific articles and reveal global productivity and trend issues. This study statistically analyzed 1417 published articles on clubfoot (1980–2021) from the Web of Science database. Bibliometric network visualization maps were created to reveal trend topics, citation analysis, and cross-country collaborations. The analysis was conducted using Spearman correlation analysis. An exponential smoothing estimator was used to predict article productivity. The United States of America (433, 30.5%), the United Kingdom (166, 11.7%), and India (107, 7.5%) are the top 3 countries contributing to the literature. The Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics (220 articles), the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics-Part B (147 articles), and Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research (69 articles) are the top 3 most productive journals. Dobbs MB (34 articles) is the most active author, and Shriners Hospital Children (44 articles) is the most active institution. Bibliometric analysis revealed that recently studied trend topics included Pirani score, Dimeglio score, Ponseti method, Ponseti casting, tenotomy, recurrence, neglected, tendon transfer, bracing, gait, risk factors, pedobarography, complex clubfoot, and polymorphism. The most studied subjects included Ponseti technique, treatment/casting, recurrent/relapsed clubfoot, Pirani score, pediatrics/children, foot deformities, surgery, ultrasound, Achilles tendon/tenotomy, gait analysis, casting, outcomes, neglected clubfoot, and tenotomy. Research leadership was determined in the western and European countries and Canada in studies and scientific collaborations on clubfoot; its impact was remarkable in India, China, and Turkey.

Mapping the Landscape of Brachial Plexus Birth Injury Research: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Study

“…Interestingly, as noted earlier, BPBI has the same incidence as clubfoot (congenital talipes equinovarus) [ 4 , 12 ]. One would expect that a similar bibliometric study on clubfoot would yield similar results to BPBI, yet, more than double the number of studies have been published on clubfoot [ 13 ]. Perhaps this is because in BPBI, treatment methods have rapidly expanded over the past decades and the evolution of surgical methods is largely due to years of research.…”

Clinical Characteristics and Whole Exome Sequencing Analysis in Serbian Cases of Clubfoot Deformity—Single Center Study

“…Recognized as one of the most serious musculoskeletal deformities, clubfoot consists of ankle equinus, hindfoot varus, cavus, forefoot adduction, and calf muscle atrophy [1][2][3][4]. As a part of the congenital dysplasia of all musculoskeletal and neurovascular tissues distal to the knee, such as bone deformities and soft-tissue fibromatosis, clubfoot occurs in around 174,000 children annually, mostly in low-income or middle-income countries [4][5][6][7][8]. Although the approximate incidence is 1-2 in 1000 Caucasian children, data from the literature suggest a varying clubfoot occurrence among different ethnic populations [1,8].…”

Prevalence and associated factors of clubfoot in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia: A hospital-based study

“…Most of investigations suggest a genetic component is involved, but that is inconsistent with the Mendelian inheritance pattern. Several studies have observed that CTEV was associated with deletion of CASP10 , an apoptosis regulatory gene on chromosome 2 (2q31-33)[ 7 ]. Other suggested causes include abnormalities of joint and/or bone formation, uterine restriction (oligohydramnios), and neurological and vascular abnormalities that occur in the second trimester of pregnancy[ 1 , 8 ].…”