Mapping Scientific Production on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes: A Bibliometric Analysis of the 2000–2025 Period

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Aksoy Ö., Tangil K. B.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISABILITIES SPORTS AND HEALTH SCIENCES, cilt.9, sa.3, ss.170-184, 2026 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to examine the scientific literature on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes between 2000 and 2025 using bibliometric methods and to identify major research trends in the field. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using data retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Records were filtered by publication year (2000–2025), document type (article), and language (English). After data cleaning, 2,304 articles were included in the analysis. Bibliometric mapping was performed using VOSviewer (v1.6.19), and statistical analyses were conducted using the Bibliometrix package in R. Publication trends, citation indicators, international collaboration networks, sport discipline distribution, and keyword thematic structures were examined. Results: A total of 2,304 articles published in 284 journals by 7,185 authors were identified. The average number of authors per article was 5.45, while the international collaboration rate was 21.88%, suggesting opportunities for strengthening international research collaboration in this field. The average citation count per article was 45.26, with an annual growth rate of 11.55%. Scientific production increased markedly after 2015. The United States was the leading contributor, followed by Sweden, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Soccer (67.06%) and basketball (12.76%) were the most frequently investigated sports. Keyword analyses revealed major research themes related to biomechanical risk factors, neuromuscular control, and injury prevention. Conclusion: Research on ACL injuries in female athletes has grown substantially over the past two decades, with a strong emphasis on biomechanical risk factors and injury prevention. Future studies should expand to underrepresented sports, age groups, hormonal factors, and multifactorial injury mechanisms.