A bibliometric analysis of research on developmental dysplasia of the hip: An evaluation of Türkiye’s scientific productivity, impact, and collaboration patterns

Objective: Research output on developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in Türkiye is expanding; however, an analysis of collaboration was not undertaken. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on DDH in Türkiye for the last 25 years (2000-2025). Scientific output, citation impact, publication quality, and collaborative network structure compared to global trends were assessed. Strategies for enhancing research productivity and international visibility were identified.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the Clarivate Web of Science and InCites databases for articles published between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2025, with “Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip” or “Congenital Dislocation of the Hip” key words in the title, with country affiliation field defined as Türkiye or Turkey. The search strategy utilized the topic field tag to screen titles, abstracts, and keywords. A total of 363 publications from 113 journals were analyzed. Productivity metrics including publication count, annual growth rate, and document age; citation metrics including total citations, average citations per document, and H-index; impact indicators including Category Normalized Citation Impact, Impact Relative to World, and journal quality stratification according to the Journal Impact Factor Quartiles were covered. Institutional and author collaboration networks were analyzed using network analysis techniques to identify knowledge hubs, collaborative patterns, and research communities.

Results: A steady annual growth rate of 6.1% with an average of 9.6 citations per document was identified. Turkish DDH publications increased from 5 documents in 2000 to a peak of 28 documents in 2021. Three researchers, .meroğlu H, Bi.imoğlu A, and Atalar H collectively accounted for nearly 50% of research productions. The top 10 most-cited articles generated 45-102 citations each, with research contributions concentrated in early diagnosis and conservative treatment of DDH in infants and total hip arthroplasty techniques for severe DDH in adults. Hacettepe University was the leading institution with 27 publications and 98 citations, followed by Istanbul University and Ankara Numune Training & Research Hospital. International collaboration, however, accounted for only 4.1% of all documents, and the institutional network exhibited a core structure dominated by Ankara and Istanbul-based institutions. The Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics-Part B was the leading publication venue with 39 documents and 448 citations, while high-impact international journals achieved superior citation efficiency independent of publication volume.

Conclusion: Turkish DDH research has increased in volume but not in global citation impact during the last 25 years. The field was mostly led by a few authors with expertise in infant diagnosis and adult surgical treatment. Limited international collaboration and publication primarily in national journals decreased global visibility and restricted the impact of Turkish contributions to DDH research.

Cite this article as: Ko.ak M, .meroğlu H, Kapıcıoğlu MİS, Korkusuz F. A bibliometric analysis of research on developmental dysplasia of the hip: An evaluation of Türkiye’s scientific productivity, impact, and collaboration patterns. 2026; 60(4), 0885, doi: 10.5152/j.aott.2026.26885.