Stemless reverse total shoulder arthroplasty: A bibliometric analysis from 2011 to 2026.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Bibliometrics

Background:

• Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) is a treatment for rotator cuff-deficient shoulders.
• Stemless RTSA designs offer advantages such as bone stock preservation and reduced operative time.
• There is a recent surge in interest and research concerning stemless RTSA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the scientific output and trends in stemless RTSA research.
• To map the knowledge landscape, including co-authorship, co-citation, and topic trends.
• To identify influential authors, institutions, and journals in the field.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted in Scopus up to February 21, 2026.
• Bibliometric analysis and knowledge mapping were performed using the bibliometrix and biblioshiny packages.
• Key metrics such as publication counts, citations, author productivity, and journal impact were extracted and analyzed.

Main Results:

• 129 articles on stemless RTSA were identified, with a significant increase in publications and citations observed after 2021.
• The United States led in publications, with the University of Western Ontario as the top institution.
• Abboud J.A. and Athwal G.S. were the most prolific authors, and the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery was the most cited journal.

Conclusions:

• The body of evidence for stemless RTSA is expanding, indicating growing international research engagement.
• Current research predominantly covers short- to mid-term outcomes.
• Further large-scale, multicenter studies with extended follow-up periods are required to fully establish the long-term efficacy and safety of stemless RTSA.