Patient Safety in Orthopedic Surgery: A Bibliometric Study

Background: Patient safety is a critical issue that directly affects the success of orthopedic surgeries and requires multidisciplinary collaboration. The aim of this study is to review publications on patient safety in orthopedic surgery from past to present, analyze their bibliometric characteristics, identify prevailing trends and content, and present the existing body of evidence. Methods: A descriptive and bibliometric analysis approach was employed in the study. The data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) on April 7, 2025, as it is considered a primary source for academic decision-making. After applying inclusion criteria, a total of 784 articles were included in the bibliometric analysis. Results: The first publication on the subject in WoSCC was published in 1983. The total number of citations for all included publications was 11,308, with an average of 13.6 citations per article. The most prolific author was “Selene G. Parekh” (2 articles), the most productive institution was the “University of Pittsburgh” (3 articles), the most productive country was the “United States” (30 articles), and the leading journal was “Orthopedics” (8 articles). Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis revealed that in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of publications related to patient safety in orthopedic surgery. As the topic has gained more attention, citation rates have also increased proportionally. The most frequently researched subjects in this area include blood loss and postoperative reoperation rates following orthopedic procedures.