Orthopaedic Authorship: Sex-Based Resident Publication Trends

Abstract

Introduction: Orthopaedic surgery is a historically male-dominated specialty. The purpose of this study was to analyze sex-specific, educational, geographic, and publication trends of orthopaedic surgery residents to quantify female representation in training and academia.

Methods: Demographic information was collected from accredited orthopaedic surgery residency websites. Schools and programs were ranked by the Doximity Residency Navigator and US News & World Report evaluations. Publications metrics were searched in PubMed and Scopus.

Results: Three thousand three hundred forty-five orthopaedic surgery residents were identified on residency websites, and 2,736 (81.8%) male and 609 (18.2%) female residents. Female residents more often attended top 20 residency programs (28.6% vs. 19.2%, P = 0.00000026), top 50 research medical schools (45.7% vs. 34.8%, P = 0.0000036), and residencies affiliated with top 20 research schools (19.0% vs. 14.1%, P = 0.0026). Female residents authored 1,740 publications (16.4%), whereas male residents authored 8,801 (82.9%). No difference was observed in H-indices, median interquartile range by training year, authorship position, publications in top journals, or research output.

Conclusion: Although female orthopaedic surgery residents were more likely to be affiliated with higher-ranking educational institutions, this had no clear influence on research productivity, as suggested by comparable median interquartile ranges and H-indices. Future studies should explore whether research productivity has evolved over time and, if so, how.