Retractions in orthopaedic research: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Research
• Academic Integrity
• Scientific Publishing

Background:

• Research fraud and misconduct are significant concerns in orthopaedic research.
• Systematic analysis of retractions in this field is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the rate of retractions in orthopaedic literature.
• To identify the primary reasons for these retractions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (1995-present).
• Inclusion of data from Retraction Watch database.
• Independent review and data extraction by two reviewers.

Main Results:

• 110 retracted studies were identified.
• Most retractions occurred in the last decade of the study period.
• Fraudulent data (29), plagiarism (25), and duplicate publication (20) were the leading causes.

Conclusions:

• Retractions in orthopaedic research are increasing, driven by academic misconduct and fraud.
• The issue of misconduct is widespread across journals and countries.
• Emphasizes the need to address academic integrity in training future orthopaedic researchers.