KUMJ | VOL. 24 | NO. 2 | ISSUE 95 | APRIL - JUNE, 2026
A Bibliometric Analysis of Trends in Global Scientific Publications on Hand Transplantation
Alassaf MA, Siddique N, Khan MA, Waris A, AlGallaf LY, Al-Qattan M, Rashid AM, Atreya A, Menezes RG
Abstract: Background
Hand transplantation, first attempted in 1964, remains a technically demanding
reconstructive option with limited surgical experience and research output.
Objective
To evaluate the scholarly literature on hand transplantation with bibliometric tools.
Method
Data were extracted from Scopus; the open-source tools Biblioshiny (bibliometrix, R)
and VOSviewer were used for analysis and visualization. Publications from 1966 to
July 2026 were included in the study.
Result
Of 754 records retrieved, 437 articles were selected for analysis. The broader corpus
yielded a Hirsch h-index of 59, an Egghe g-index of 92, and 15,870 total citations.
The year 2019 had the highest publication volume (n=31), while 1999 was the
peak-citation-year (n=790) among only 4 publications that year. Journal of Hand
Surgery was the most productive source (35 publications), followed by Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery (26) and Annals of Plastic Surgery (22). ‘Dubernard JM, 1999,
Lancet’ was the most cited document (671 citations). ‘Brandacher G’ (Johns Hopkins
University) was the most prolific author (35 publications, 716 local citations). The
United States had the highest corresponding-author output (128 articles, 29.3%;
3,499 citations), followed by Austria (31, 7.1%) and China (27, 6.2%); France recorded
the highest mean citation per article (78.5 citations/article).
Conclusion
This analysis indicates steady but uneven growth in hand transplantation research.
Despite progress, distribution remains markedly uneven, with limited global
participation and reliance on isolated surgical experience. Greater funding,
international collaboration, and specialized research are needed to advance clinical
outcomes, and address persistent challenges, such as immunosuppression and
ethical issues.
Keyword : Bibliometric analysis, Hand transplantation, Publication trend, Scientometrics, Statistical bibliography
