The impact of 3D printing in orthopedics and traumatology: Mapping the research landscape through bibliometrics and visualized analysis

Abstract

Objective: This study conducts a bibliometric analysis to evaluate the research landscape of 3D printing in orthopedics and traumatology. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was performed on articles retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (Orthopedics category) up to 2024, using keywords related to “3D Printing” and “Additive Manufacturing.” After manual screening of 434 initial manuscripts, 412 publications were selected. Data analysis utilized the Bibliometrix R package and VOSviewer for network visualization, with manual data standardization. Results: The analysis identified 412 relevant publications, with a peak of 72 documents in 2023, an average document age of 3.95 years, and an annual growth rate of 41.86 %. The average number of citations per document was 14.92. China led in publication volume (210 articles) and total citations (2,264), followed by the United States (68 articles). Italy and Spain were noted for a high average number of citations per document. Among the most prolific authors were Minxun Lu, Yi Luo, Li Min, and Chongqi Tu. The Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research (81 publications) and Orthopaedic Surgery (76 publications) were the journals with the most articles. Sichuan University was the leading institution (41 publications), followed by Southern Medical University (29) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (19). Keyword analysis indicated a shift from terms like “hydrogels” and “template” (2019) to “osteogenesis,” "personalized," and “sarcoma” (2023), in addition to consistently important terms like “reconstruction,” "prosthesis," and “fixation.” Conclusions: 3D printing is a transformative technology in orthopedics, significantly enhancing preoperative planning and enabling patient-specific solutions. The marked increase in publications, particularly from Chinese institutions, highlights growing global interest. Evolving keyword trends suggest a move towards regenerative strategies and precision oncology. International collaboration is vital for continued innovation, and future research should focus on integrating technological advancements with clinical outcomes.