ArticleUpdates in surgery2026
Trends, hotspots, and thematic evolution in damage control surgery research: a global bibliometric assessment.
Article in Updates in surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Damage control surgery (DCS) is a cornerstone of modern trauma care, yet its global research landscape remains unmapped. Despite significant clinical advances, no bibliometric study has systematically examined the intellectual and conceptual structure of DCS scholarship. This study aims to provide the first data-driven global bibliometric analysis of DCS, outlining publication trends, influential contributors, conceptual hotspots, thematic evolution, and emerging research frontiers. Scopus-indexed original articles (1997–2025) were analyzed using Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and Sankeymatic/RAWGraphs. Analyses included performance metrics, citation patterns, author and institutional productivity, co-authorship and international collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence mapping, thematic evolution (Callon’s centrality/density), trending-topic overlays, and bibliographic coupling. The final dataset comprised 329 articles across 155 sources. Annual publication growth increased steadily, with accelerated expansion after 2010. The United States led in output and citation impact, followed by South Africa, Italy, China, and the United Kingdom. Collaboration analysis revealed 63 contributing countries, with a 30-country largest connected component. Co-occurrence mapping identified core themes such as damage control surgery, open abdomen, abdominal trauma, and temporary abdominal closure. Thematic analysis showed DCS transitioning from foundational concepts toward specialized domains, including negative-pressure wound therapy, abdominal wall reconstruction, and ballistic trauma. Trending-topic analysis highlighted rising interest in surgical management frameworks, cohort studies, abdominal sepsis, and military-related injuries. DCS research demonstrates sustained global growth, expanding international collaboration, and increasing methodological sophistication. Findings highlight evolving thematic priorities and identify future opportunities in precision trauma care, adjunctive technologies, and multicenter outcomes research.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41961462What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.