Publication rates of abstracts presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Previous studies have reported publication rates of abstracts presented at orthopaedic meetings from 22 to 68 percent. The objective of this study was to determine the publication rate of papers presented at the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons (SOMOS) meetings from 1999 to 2003. A database was created including all abstracts presented at SOMOS meetings from 1999 to 2003 as listed in official program books. To assess whether each abstract resulted in publication in a peer-reviewed journal, a computerized PubMed search of the presenting author and appropriate keywords from the title was conducted. Overall, 191 of the 435 abstracts presented at SOMOS from 1999 to 2003 were published in a peer-reviewed journal, giving a publication rate of 44%. The publication rate of abstract presentations at annual SOMOS meetings compares favorably with the rates for other orthopaedic meetings. However, less than 50% result in peer-reviewed publication.