Publication of studies presented as free papers at a Brazilian national orthopedics meeting

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rate and others factors related with the publication of free papers presented at a national orthopedic meeting. METHODS: Using virtual databases we reviewed the studies presented at the 2004 Brazilian Congress of Orthopedics and Traumatology that were published, as well as related factors such as institution, sub-specialty, year, level of evidence, results and comparison between abstract presented and published. RESULTS: There were 58 studies published from 267 presented (21.73%). Seven (12.1%) were published in international and 51 (87.9%) in national journals, mainly RBO (55%). The publication rate was higher in the year of the event and the following year (37.9%). The sub-specialties of spine and knee showed the best correlation between the numbers of papers presented and published (respectively 40.9% and 37.9%). Most of the studies were cohort (65%) and experimental studies have been 34.5%. There was a tendency to publish positive results or statistically significant. Three institutions were responsible for most of the publications (53.4%). Works with higher level of evidence showed the highest rate of publication. The abstract published was modified in 68.5% of the form the presentation. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents data that compromises the quality of scientific of the abstracts presented at orthopedic meeting: most have a lower level of evidence and nearly 80% are not published.