Sports injuries research in India: A bibliometric analysis of publications (2001–2025)

Objectives: Sports injuries represent a growing concern in India amid increasing participation in professional and recreational sports. This bibliometric study evaluates the evolution, productivity, collaboration patterns, thematic trends, and citation impact of Indian research on sports injuries indexed in Scopus from 2001 to 2025. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in Scopus in February 2026, using targeted keywords related to sports and injuries, restricted to Indian-affiliated publications. Data were analyzed for publication trends, document types, subject focus, funding, international collaboration, leading institutions, thematic clusters (via VOSviewer keyword co-occurrence), and highly-cited papers. Results: A total of 226 publications were identified, yielding 1809 citations (average 8.0 citations per paper [CPP]). Output grew exponentially after 2016 (669% increase from 26 to 200 papers). Original articles dominated (54.87%), with short surveys achieving the highest impact (13.6 CPP). The Indian research focused on athletics, cricket, football, and basketball, with knee (23 papers), tooth (15), and ankle (10) injuries most prevalent. International collaboration comprised 34.95% of papers, led by Australia (43% of international collaborative papers), with high-impact ties to South Korea (46 CPP) and South Africa (37.2 CPP). Top Indian institutions included All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (19 papers), and Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh (13 papers). Six thematic clusters emerged: sport-specific biomechanics, prevention/awareness, rehabilitation (including Ayurveda), surveillance/epidemiology, and emerging AI/machine learning/wearables for prediction. The top 20 highly cited papers accounted for 57.7% of citations, predominantly collaborative and published in high-impact journals such as Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology Arthroscopy . Conclusion: Indian sports injury research has matured rapidly, integrating traditional clinical approaches with advanced predictive technologies. Future efforts should address psychological, economic, and demographic gaps to enhance clinical relevance and global impact.