Rate and trends of women authorship in a high-impact French orthopaedic journal over 30 years.

Background: Despite a rise in the number of women in orthopedic surgery over recent decades, their representation in academic and leadership roles remains limited. Authorship in research journals serves as a key indicator of academic involvement. We conducted a retrospective study to assess: (1) the rate of publications by women first and senior authors from 1990 to 2024, and (2) indexed publications and citation impact (3) gender differences in authorship by subspecialty and study type.

Hypothesis: The authorship gender disparity may no longer persist over the past 30 years in a high-impact French orthopedic journal.

Methods: This study analyzed all articles published in Revue de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Réparatrice de l'Appareil Moteur (RCOT) and Orthopaedic and Traumatology Surgery and Research (OTSR) during four periods (1990-1994, 2000-2004, 2010-2014, 2020-2024). The gender of first and senior authors, subspecialties, gender ratios, and their evolution over time were assessed. Indexed publications and citation impact were also reported.

Results: A total of 3,256 articles were included. Over the 30 years, the proportion of women first and senior authors increased significantly from 15/402 (3.7%) in 1990-1994, to 35/502 (7%) in 2000-2004, 120/950 (12.6%) in 2010-2014, and 306/1,402 (21.8%) in 2020-2024 (p < 0.0001). Specifically, the rate of female first authorship rose from 10/392 (2.5%) to 114/1,210 (13.7%) and senior authorship from 5/367 (1.2%) to 114/1,233 (8.1%) (p < 0.0001). Citation impact improved, with 24 articles reaching the top 10% most cited in the latest period, including 4 in the top 1%. Subspecialty analysis showed increased female authorship across all fields, particularly in paediatrics (+48.4%), hand (+32.5%), elbow (+29.2%), and tumor/infection (+35%) from 2020-2024. Significant increases were observed in most subspecialties (p < 0.05), except knee, shoulder, comment, elbow, and infection.

Discussion: This study shows a growing female presence in orthopedic publications, with notable subspecialty preferences. Sustaining this trend requires leaders of all genders to mentor and support future candidates. By fostering an inclusive environment that values gender diversity, the field can continue to progress, ensuring equal opportunities for all, regardless of gender, and ultimately enriching the discipline.

Level of evidence: III.