Aparna Viswanath1, Puneet Monga1. 1. Upper Limb Unit, Dept of Orthopaedics, Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, Hall Lane, Appley Bridge, Lancashire, WN6 9EP, United Kingdom.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to analyse the most cited articles in rotator cuff surgery and identify trends in topics by decade to see which areas may still need further investigation. METHODS: Journal Citation Index was searched to find articles using the search terms pertaining to "rotator cuff repair". All articles were ranked according to most cited, and then further analysed to find most cited articles in each decade. Articles were grouped into topics to find themes for each decade. RESULTS: All the most cited articles were published in 6 orthopaedic journals. Only 4 of the top 30 citations provided level I evidence. Each decade's most cited articles seemed to fit into a broad topic, with platelet-rich plasma and biologic augmentation being prominent in the last decade. CONCLUSION: There are still many unanswered questions in rotator cuff surgery, but this may be because success of certain treatment options are highly dependent on patient selection. Despite growing numbers of articles being published on rotator cuff repairs, the level of evidence remains low. Larger, collaborative projects may help in answering the common dilemmas that still face shoulder surgeons.
INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to analyse the most cited articles in rotator cuff surgery and identify trends in topics by decade to see which areas may still need further investigation. METHODS: Journal Citation Index was searched to find articles using the search terms pertaining to "rotator cuff repair". All articles were ranked according to most cited, and then further analysed to find most cited articles in each decade. Articles were grouped into topics to find themes for each decade. RESULTS: All the most cited articles were published in 6 orthopaedic journals. Only 4 of the top 30 citations provided level I evidence. Each decade's most cited articles seemed to fit into a broad topic, with platelet-rich plasma and biologic augmentation being prominent in the last decade. CONCLUSION: There are still many unanswered questions in rotator cuff surgery, but this may be because success of certain treatment options are highly dependent on patient selection. Despite growing numbers of articles being published on rotator cuff repairs, the level of evidence remains low. Larger, collaborative projects may help in answering the common dilemmas that still face shoulder surgeons.
Authors: Matthias A Zumstein; Bernhard Jost; Julia Hempel; Juerg Hodler; Christian Gerber Journal: J Bone Joint Surg Am Date: 2008-11 Impact factor: 5.284