Gender Equity Issues in Orthopaedics: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Medical Specialties
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Patient outcomes improve with diverse healthcare teams.
• Orthopaedics lags in female representation compared to other medical fields.
• Addressing gender equity is vital for healthcare advancement.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify key themes in gender equity within orthopaedics.
• Analyze trends in gender representation in the field.
• Summarize existing evidence on gender disparities in orthopaedics.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a scoping review following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched Medline, EMBASE, and Global Index Medicus for relevant studies.
• Included data-driven studies across the orthopaedic training spectrum.
• Utilized thematic analysis and descriptive statistics.

Main Results:

• 179 studies analyzed across seven themes, including diversity, research, leadership, and microaggressions.
• Most studies (nearly 80%) originated from the USA.
• Significant gender disparity persists despite modest improvements in female representation.
• The field continues to lag behind other medical specialties in gender equity.

Conclusions:

• Women remain underrepresented at all career stages in orthopaedics.
• Women surgeons face disproportionate microaggressions, discrimination, and health impacts.
• Global, collaborative efforts are necessary to achieve gender parity in orthopaedics.