The Last 40 Years of Orthognathic Surgery: A Bibliometric Analysis

Epidemiologic trends and increasing inequalities in orthognathic surgery in Germany: a nationwide analysis 2005-2022

Orthognathic surgery (OS) has become a widely used treatment option for moderate to severe dento-skeletal malocclusions. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and time trends of OS and potential influencing factors in the German healthcare system. Nationwide data regarding the national diagnosis-related-group (DRG) inpatient billing system was received from the German Federal Statistical Office. We estimated age-gender standardized incidence of OS-associated procedures between 2005 and 2022 and evaluated age- and gender-adjusted time trends using Poisson regression analysis. The total standardized incidence rate of OS-associated procedures in the observational period 2005-2022 was 11.1 (♀13.0; ♂ 9.2) per 100,000 person years. A significant increase of 61.8% (♀+48.7%; ♂+82.9%) in OS-associated procedures was observed within the observational period, mainly due to the increase of the procedures in the age groups 15-34 years (+ 53.6%), 35-59 years (+ 66.7%) and 60-79 years (+ 20.0%). Mandibular procedures increased by 45.0%, while maxillary procedures increased by 88.2%. There were significant differences of the incidence of OS-associated procedures between the various federal states in Germany, indicating a higher incidence and stronger increase in more affluent regions. The age- and gender-standardized incidence of OS-associated procedures increased among all genders and the most relevant age groups in Germany in the last two decades. There is an ongoing trend to implement maxillary and combined procedures. These effects are limited to more affluent regions only, reflecting the impact of socioeconomic and regional factors on healthcare accessibility.

Exploring the Landscape of Salivary Gland Disorders: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis

Objective

This study aims to conduct a major bibliometric analysis of salivary gland disorders, exploring publication characteristics, trends, and influential contributors. The primary objective is to improve understanding of the current state of research in this area and to identify potential directions for future investigation.

Methods

A comprehensive study was conducted analysing 11,679 publications from 1980 to 2023 retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. The analysis included collaboration across countries, keyword co-occurrence, co-citation networks and clustering. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to explore relationships and create visualisations.

Results

The analysis revealed a dynamic landscape of salivary gland research, with the United States leading in both the number of publications (n = 2998) and centrality (0.26). Network analysis unveiled nine clusters, including topics such as parotidectomy and immunohistochemistry. Co-occurrence analysis of keywords highlighted evolving trends, with recent emphasis on terms such as sialendoscopy, cytopathology, and gene fusion. The timeline view illustrated the changing significance of terms over the years, reflecting current areas of interest such as radiomics and mucoepidermoid carcinoma.

Conclusion

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the field, offering insights into influential work, collaborative networks, and emerging trends. The outputs of the analysis can guide researchers and clinicians in shaping future investigations.

A global landscape analysis of the impact, trends, and dissemination in oral and maxillofacial surgery research

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to comprehensively analyze the global landscape of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) literature through bibliometrics. The research focuses on evaluating publication trends, influential topics, and the impact of scholarly works within the field.

METHODS

Following the principles of the Leiden Manifesto, a literature search was conducted using the Web of Science database, encompassing seven OMFS journals. A total of 18,218 publications were analyzed, with indicators such as publication language, geographic location, specialty, year, citation, and authorship examined. Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation tests and angular coefficient calculations, were performed in RStudio.

RESULTS

The study revealed a strong upward trend in publications related to orthognathic surgery, trauma, and infections. Geographic analysis indicated a dominance of European and Asian contributions, with the USA leading in overall publications. The impact of self-citations was explored, emphasizing nuanced perspectives on their role in scholarly impact metrics. The data provided insights into the scholarly impact of OMFS publications, including the H-index, number of citations, and citing articles.

CONCLUSION

The findings underscored potential global discrepancies in OMFS research, both geographically and in terms of topics covered. The study discussed the influence of language and journal impact on citation counts, emphasizing the role of English publications. Specific topics, such as trauma and infections, exhibited high scholarly interest and citation rates. Recommendations were made to encourage submissions on specific topics, such as cosmetic surgery and pathology, to enhance the diversity of OMFS literature. The study aims to foster international collaboration and leverage bibliometrics for evidence-based decision-making, educational strategies, and advancements in the dynamic field of oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Emerging Trends in Virtual Surgical Planning for Orthognathic Surgery: A Global Overview of Research and Publication Patterns

PURPOSE

Anticipating trends and pursuing innovative ideas are imperative for the advancement of science. The objective of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of 3-dimensional virtual simulation in orthognathic surgery, explore its implications for clinical practice, and identify future publication trends through digital tools.

METHODS

This study employed a retrospective bibliometric analysis using data obtained from the Web of Science database. The search strategy focused on articles related to orthognathic surgery and virtual simulation techniques. RStudio and bibliometrix tools were used to data mining. The independent variables retrieved from digital analysis were the emerging themes related to virtual planning in orthognathic surgery. The trends that we identified were facial esthetics, digital workflow, personalized treatments, and complex cases. The primary outcome variable was the number of publications dedicated to virtual simulation in orthognathic surgery, along with secondary outcomes such as citation rates, language of publication, country of origin, institutional affiliations, and emerging research themes. Covariates included variables related to publication characteristics, author affiliations, and geographic distribution of publications. Publication analyses over time involved descriptive statistics, regression analysis, Pearson correlation tests, and graphical representation techniques. Statistical significance was set at a 95% confidence interval (P value < .05).

RESULTS

A comprehensive analysis of 987 articles reveals the impact of included authors, with a mean h-index of 62 (SD = 18.4). The analysis further illuminates a discernible upward trend in publications on this subject, showcasing a linear pattern with a notable R2 value of 0.88 (P = .021). English remains the predominant language of publication, accounting for 97.97% of articles, while contributions hailed from a diverse spectrum of 56 countries. Interestingly, a moderate correlation emerges between publication numbers and gross domestic product per capita (r = 0.30, P = .044) and total area (r = 0.30, P = .032), whereas a more substantial correlation is evident with total population (r = 0.61, P = .034). Notably, the most cited article amassed 254 citations. Furthermore, a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.97 underscores the correlation between citation density and the year of publication.

CONCLUSION

The bibliometric indicators provided insights for evaluating research productivity and the quality of research output. Emerging themes included facial esthetics, 3-dimensional printing, and the utilization of custom-made templates and implants. This study holds relevance for maxillofacial surgeons, academics, and researchers alike.

Science mapping analysis of maxillofacial reconstruction over the last four decades

PURPOSE

This paper aims to provide a bibliometric analysis of the maxillofacial reconstruction literature over 40 years and to compare the data with previous studies.

METHODS

A bibliographical search for oral and maxillofacial surgery literature in maxillofacial reconstruction was conducted on Wef of Science. A graphic representation of authorship and keywords was created with VOSviewer. Mendeley and Microsoft Excel were used for tabulation and data visualization. Some statistical tests were performed with a 95 % confidence interval, which was considered significant.

RESULTS

A total of 7417 articles from specialized journals were included in the study. These articles received 138,493 citations from 63,390 other studies, with an average citation count of 18.67, and a very high H-index. A total of 2375 specific keywords were analyzed, covering a wide range of topics, with two noteworthy MeSH keywords that have recently gained prominence. A total of 33 journals were included in the study, with a mean Impact Factor of 2.404, indicating a relatively high influence in the subject area.

CONCLUSION

The high h-index reflects abundant and high-quality literature on maxillofacial reconstruction, with the United States leading in publication quantity. Emerging topics in maxillofacial reconstruction were discussed. These areas shape the discipline, driving advancements and offering opportunities for researchers and clinicians to contribute to progress and improve patient outcomes.

The top 100 highly cited articles on surgery-first orthognathic surgery between 2009 and 2022: a bibliometric and visualized analysis

OBJECTIVES

To reveal research focuses on surgery-first orthognathic surgery by a bibliometric and visualized analysis of the top 100 highly cited articles.

STUDY DESIGN

Published papers related to surgery-first orthognathic surgery were retrospectively retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection from 2009 to 2022. The number of articles, journals, countries/regions, institutions, authors, and keywords were assessed and visualized using CiteSpace software.

RESULTS

The top 100 cited articles included 89 research papers and 11 reviews. The average total citation was 21. The most influential article with 146 citations was published by Dr. Liou E.J.W. in 2011. The most common level of evidence was level IV (36 articles). The Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery had the largest number of papers and the highest total citation frequency. The most productive countries and institutions were Korea/China and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, respectively. Chen Yu-ray and Choi Jong Woo published 13 and 11 articles with 434 and 299 total citations, respectively. Research interests shifted from skeletal class III malocclusion, accuracy, stability, and relapse to quality of life and virtual surgical planning.

CONCLUSION

Our bibliometric analyses provide a comprehensive landscape of the influential topics and developmental trends in surgery-first orthognathic surgery and inspire future studies in this booming field.

Ultrasonographic evaluation of changes in the thickness, width, elasticity index and echogenic pattern of the masseter muscle after mandibular set-back surgery

INTRODUCTION

The masseter muscle is one of the structures that undergoes significant changes following jaw movements in orthognathic surgery. This study aims to investigate the effects of mandibular setback surgery, performed in patients with skeletal class III deformity, on the thickness, width, elasticity index, and echogenic pattern of the masseter muscle.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This prospective case-control study enrolled patients with class III deformity who underwent mandibular setback surgery, while the control group consisted of class I patients. The predictor variable was the time measured at two different points: preoperative (T1) and postoperative 6 months (T2). The primary outcome variable focused on changes in the internal echogenic pattern of the masseter muscle. Secondary, tertiary, and quaternary outcome variables included changes in the thickness, width, and elasticity index of the masseter muscle, respectively. Gender, age, type of operation, and amount of movement were considered as covariates. Ultrasonography was employed to evaluate the outcome variables.

RESULTS

The study group comprised 31 patients, including 17 females (mean age 22.24 ± 3.52 years) and 14 males (mean age 23.14 ± 2.65 years). The control group consisted of 16 females (mean age 23.34 ± 1.22 years) and 15 males (mean age 23.12 ± 1.76 years). Masseter muscle thickness increased significantly after mandibular setback surgery (p = 0.015). However, there was no statistically significant difference in masseter muscle width before and after surgery (p = 0.627), nor in the elasticity index (p = 0.588). Furthermore, a statistically significant transformation from Type I to Type II was observed in the internal echogenic pattern of the muscle (p = 0.039). Additionally, there was no statistically significant correlation between the amount of mandibular movement performed and the changes in the masseter muscle.

CONCLUSIONS

Mandibular setback surgery leads to changes in both the physical and structural properties of the masseter muscle.