Foot and Ankle Medicine: Analysis of a Decade of Research in Renowned Brazilian Orthopedic Journals

Author(s): Thiago Batista Faleiro, Jocelmo Brito de Souza, Denisval Flores Cavalcanti, Alexandre Vasconcelos de Meirelles

Evidence-based medicine is a new paradigm for medical practice in situations that generate uncertainties regarding disease diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic management, requiring professionals to develop expertise in the critical evaluation and validation of scientific publications. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the articles published in Brazil between 2010 and 2019 on foot and ankle medicine. Three researchers independently searched for articles on foot and ankle medicine in three renowned Brazilian orthopedic journals, as follows: Revista Brasileira de Ortopedia, Acta Ortopédica Brasileira, and Revista Abtpé. In total, 296 articles were identified and complied with the inclusion criteria, being thus analyzed. Applying the Oxford hierarchy of evidence classification, we found that, across the three journals, most articles were at levels 4 and 5 of evidence and originated in the state of São Paulo. The most discussed topics were trauma, hallux valgus, pathologies of the calcaneus tendon, and ligament injuries. Given that the predominance of articles with a lower level of evidence has also been reported in the literature for international journals, initiatives that encourage an increase in the number, in the popularization, and the improvement of the level of evidence for foot and ankle medicine research in Brazil are warranted.

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