Can Hirsch index predict academic rank among full-time academic orthopaedic shoulder surgeons?

Background: Hirsch index (h-index) has emerged as a refined metric for research productivity, offering a better approximation of scholarly influence. The aim of this study was to assess whether h-index can predict academic rank among shoulder surgeons. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed for full-time academic shoulder surgeons affiliated with American Shoulder and Elbow-recognized shoulder and elbow surgery fellowship programs. Study variables for each surgeon were classified as bibliometric (h-index, m-index, total number of publications, total number of citations, I-10 index, and maximum number of citations from a single work) and demographic (gender, training factors). Outcomes included the academic rank of each surgeon. Results: 153 full-time academic shoulder surgeons were included. H-index, I-10 index, and the total number of publications and citations were all strongly correlated with academic rank, while maximum citations for a single work, m-index, and years as an attending were moderately correlated with academic rank. H-index most reliably demonstrated an association with increasing academic rank. The h-index thresholds for assistant professor, associate professor, professor, and endowed professor were found to be 12.5, 12.5, 19, and 32.5, respectively. Discussion: When evaluating candidates for academic promotion in shoulder surgery, h-index is a reliable tool to quantitatively assess research productivity and scholarly impact. Level of evidence: Survey Study.