The 100 most cited articles in metastatic spine disease

Citation analysis of the most influential ependymoma research articles illustrates improved knowledge of the molecular biology of ependymoma

The history of academic research on ependymoma is expansive. This review summarizes its history with a bibliometric analysis of the 100 most cited articles on ependymoma. In March 2020, we queried the Web of Science database to identify the most cited articles on ependymoma using the terms “ependymoma” or “ependymal tumors,” yielding 3145 publications. Results were arranged by the number of times each article was cited in descending order. The top 100 articles spanned across nearly a century; the oldest article was published in 1924, while the most recent was in 2017. These articles were published in 35 unique journals, including a mix of basic science and clinical journals. The three institutions with the most papers in the top 100 were St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (16%), the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (6%), and the German Cancer Research Center (5%). We analyzed the publications that may be considered the most influential in the understanding and treatment management of ependymoma. Studies focused on the molecular classification of ependymomas were well-represented among the most cited articles, reflecting the field’s current area of focus and its future directions. Additionally, this article also offers a reference for further studies in the ependymoma field.

Characteristics and Trends of the Most Cited Spine Publications

STUDY DESIGN

Bibliometric literature review.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to recognize and analyze the most frequently cited manuscripts published in the journal Spine.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Although the journal Spine is considered a premiere location for distributing influential spine research, no previous study has evaluated which of their publications have had the most impact. Knowledge and appreciation of the most influential Spine publications can guide and inspire future research endeavors.

METHODS

Using the Scopus database, the 100 most cited articles published in Spine were accessed. The frequency of citations, year of publication, country of origin, level-of-evidence (LOE), article type, and contributing authors/institutions were recorded. The 10 most cited articles (per year) from the past decade were also determined.

RESULTS

"Guidelines For The Process Of Cross-Cultural Adaptation Of Self-Report Measures" by Beaton DE was the most cited article with 2960 citations. 2000 to 2009 (n = 46) was the most productive period. A LOE of III (n = 35) followed by II (n = 34) were the most common. Deyo RA (n = 8), Bombardier C (n = 6), and Waddell G (n = 6) produced the most articles. University of Washington (n = 8) and University of Toronto (n = 8) ranked first for institutional output. Clinical Outcome (n = 28) was the most recurring article topic. The United States (n = 51) ranked first for country of origin.

CONCLUSION

Using citation analysis as an objective proxy for influence, certain publications can be distinguished from others due to their lasting impact and recognition from peers. Of the top cited Spine publications, many pertained to clinical outcomes (28%) and had a LOE of I, II, or III (60%). Although older publications have had longer time to accrue citations, those in the most recent decade comprise this list almost 2:1. Knowledge of these "classic" publications allows for a better overall understanding of the diagnosis, management, and future direction of spine health care.Level of Evidence: 3.

The 100 Most Cited Papers About Brain Metastases

BACKGROUND

A vast amount of articles centered on brain metastases have been published.

OBJECTIVE

To present the 100 most-cited articles dedicated to brain metastasis and to accomplish a broad literature review.

METHODS

In December 2019, we performed a title-focused search using the Thomson Reuters Web of Science database to identify the most cited articles centered on brain metastatic disease. Our search query term was based on using the following algorithm: "brain metastases" OR "brain metastasis" OR "brain metastatic disease" OR "cerebral metastases" OR "cerebral metastasis" OR "cerebral metastatic disease." Afterward, we reviewed the results to certify that they were relevant to the purposes of our research protocol. The 100 most cited papers were chosen and further analyzed.

RESULTS

Our search resulted in 11,579 articles, published from 1975 until the completion of our survey. The most cited article, by Patchell et al., was published in 1990, with 1862 citations, and an average of 62.07 citations per year, whereas the last in our list, by Gaspar et al., was published in 2010, with 195 total citations, and an average of 19.50 citations per year. Countries with the highest-cited articles included the United States (75 records), followed by Canada (16 records).

CONCLUSIONS

We discovered the top 100 most-cited articles centered on brain metastasis, all of which show a potentially increased level of interest, because they are meaningful scientific reports. In addition, we reviewed the historical development and advances in brain metastasis research and relevant points of interest, alongside the relevant contributions of different authors, fields of special interest, and countries. Many of the most cited articles were written by authors whose specialty was not neurosurgery or by neurosurgeons who were supported by colleagues from other medical fields. As a consequence, many of these articles were not published in neurosurgery-dedicated journals.

The 100 Top-Cited Articles on Spinal Deformity: A Bibliometric Analysis

STUDY DESIGN

A bibliometric analysis.

OBJECTIVE

To identify and analyze the 100 top-cited articles on spinal deformity.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

The nature of spinal deformity leads to the complexity of its treatment. There is a scarcity of guidelines for the treatment of spinal deformity despite of the growing literature. So it is crucial to discern researches with higher impact and quality.

METHODS

A keyword search using the Thomson Reuters Web of Science was conducted to select articles relevant to spinal deformity. The 100 top-cited articles were identified based on titles and abstracts, and then analyzed.

RESULTS

The citation count for the final 100 articles ranged from 154 to 775, with an average of 243.0 citations. Most studies were published in the journal Spine (49/100). The most productive publication time was from 2000 to 2009. The natural history of scoliosis was the most frequent topic (10 articles), followed by pedicle screw instrumentation (8), outcome of nonoperative treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) (8), health-related quality of life (7), relationship between sagittal parameters and clinical symptoms (7), and complications of surgical treatment (7). Despite AIS was the most common deformity, the top two most frequently cited articles were all about adult spinal deformity, both describing the correlation between sagittal parameters and symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The current study attempted to develop a resource with detailed information on 100 top-cited articles on spinal deformity. It demonstrated the essential advances in spinal deformity. Although the most common spinal deformity is AIS, the adult spinal deformity is of greater impact. These insights into priorities and trends of the researches could help future academic pursuits.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

5.

The top 100 classic papers on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in the past 25 years: a bibliometric analysis of the orthopaedic literature

STUDY DESIGN

Bibliometric analysis.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the 100 most cited orthopedic papers in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) over the past 25 years and characterize them by study type, topic, and country and assess study quality (design, level of evidence, and impact factor) to provide an updated account of the most impactful AIS evidence. AIS represents a three-dimensional deformity that drives a significant number of investigations. Although available evidence continues to grow, recent impactful studies pertaining to AIS have not been identified; their quality has not been thoroughly assessed.

METHODS

Web of Science was reviewed to identify the top 1000 cited AIS studies published from 1992 to 2017. Articles were organized by number of citations. Titles and abstracts were screened for inclusion/relevance, and the top 100 articles by citation count were identified, and study and publication characteristics were extracted.

RESULTS

Among the top 100 articles, 42 were cited ≥ 100 times. Mean number of authors and citations of these studies was 5.6 and 118.3, respectively. Study types were predominantly retrospective (n = 53), followed by prospective (n = 18), cross-sectional (n = 13), and systematic review/meta-analysis (n = 7). Topics covered in these studies included clinical/patient outcomes (n = 47), methodology/validation (n = 22), basic science (n = 15), radiographic analyses (n = 12), and gait/biomechanics (n = 4). Most studies originated in the United States of America (n = 65) and were published in Spine (n = 76), with 8266 total citations. Most studies were of Level III (n = 55) or Level II (n = 23) evidence. Mean impact factor was 3.47.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite recent studies' shorter time frames for impact, citations of AIS research have progressively increased during the past 25 years. The top 100 cited orthopedic studies were predominantly Level III, retrospective, nonrandomized studies, and therefore, were subject to biases. The low proportion of prospective studies (18%) reflects an area of future improvement, underscoring the need for higher-quality studies to support our practice.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

N/A.

Spinal Metastasis Surgery: A Proposal for a Predictive Model of Morbidity and Mortality

Objective  To develop a predictive model of early postoperative morbidity and mortality with the purpose of assisting in the selection of the candidates for spinal metastasis surgery.

Methods  A retrospective analysis of consecutive patients operated for metastatic spinal disease. The possible prognostic preoperative characteristics were gender, age, comorbidities, tumor growth rate, and leukocyte and lymphocyte count in the peripheral blood. The postoperative outcomes were 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality and presence of complications. A predictive model was developed based on factors independently associated with these three outcomes. The final model was then tested for the tendency to predict adverse events, discrimination capacity and calibration.

Results  A total of 205 patients were surgically treated between 2002 and 2015. The rates of the 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality and presence of complications were of 17%, 42% and 31% respectively. The factors independently associated with these three outcomes, which constituted the predictive model, were presence of comorbidities, no slow-growing primary tumor, and lymphocyte count below 1,000 cells/µL. Exposure to none, one, two or three factors was the criterion for the definition of the following categories of the predictive model: low, moderate, high and extreme risk respectively. Comparing the risk categories, there was a progressive increase in the occurrence of outcomes, following a linear trend. The discrimination capacity was of 72%, 73% and 70% for 30-day mortality, 90-day mortality and complications respectively. No lack of calibration occurred.

Conclusion  The predictive model estimates morbidity and mortality after spinal metastasis surgery and hierarchizes risks as low, moderate, high and extreme.

Progress and Prospects of Recurrent Glioma: A Recent Scientometric Analysis of the Web of Science in 2019

BACKGROUND

Most patients with glioma experience recurrence and have a poor prognosis. Scientometric analysis is effective and widely used to summarize the most influential studies within a certain field. We present the first scientometric analysis of recurrent glioma.

METHODS

We conducted a generalized search for articles on recurrent glioma in the Web of Science database and evaluated the top 100 most cited articles among 4651 articles.

RESULTS

The number of citations from the top 100 cited articles on recurrent glioma ranged from 149 to 1471; most of these articles were published in oncology-specific journals (66) and were submitted by institutions in the United States (n = 67). The top-cited articles consisted of 98 articles and 2 literature reviews. Articles were classified into 4 major categories based on subject matter: 82 pertained to treatment, 6 pertained to genetic mechanisms, 7 pertained to diagnosis, and 5 pertained to prognosis. Treatment-related articles were subdivided into the following 7 categories: targeted therapy (n = 21), chemotherapy (n = 20), immunotherapy (n = 12), combination therapy (n = 12), radiotherapy (n = 9), surgical resection (n = 6), a new therapy (physiotherapy) (n = 1), and treatment summary (n = 1).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the analysis indicated that the core problem is the treatment of recurrent glioma. Although the number of citations on targeted therapy and combination therapy has increased in recent years, the proportion of randomized controlled trials, basic medical research, literature reviews, and meta-analyses is relatively low; thus, there is an urgent need to conduct these types of studies on recurrent glioma.

Global Research Trends of Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set: A Bibliometric Analysis

Despite the fast growth of intuitionistic fuzzy publications, only a small part of these groundbreaking researches have significantly impacted the field. The main purpose of this paper was to identify and investigate the 100 most cited publications in the intuitionistic fuzzy field. Topic search based on the keyword “intuitionistic fuzzy” in the Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index databases was conducted to identify the 100 most cited articles. Bibliometric analysis methods were employed to describe these articles from different angles, such as the citation amount and rate, distribution among journals, institutions and countries/regions, author frequency, and citation distribution over time. This paper provides an insight on the characteristics of the highly cited intuitionistic fuzzy publications. The achievements of this study may provide useful information for researchers in the fields related to intuitionistic fuzzy.

Top 100 Most-Cited Clinical Studies of Hip and Knee Arthroplasty: The Foundation of Practice

Total number of citations has been considered a proxy for a published study's importance within a given field. However, there are multiple pitfalls to correlating the total number of citations alone with the quality of a study. In this review, the authors aimed to identify the top 100 most-cited studies of hip and knee arthroplasty and then assess study design and quality of reporting. More than half of these studies were level IV evidence, unblinded, not randomized, and not controlled. This underscores the need for higher-quality study design to support practice. [Orthopedics. 2019; 42(2):e151-e161.].

Citation analysis of the most influential articles on traumatic spinal cord injury

Objective: We conducted a citation analysis in order to catalog and pay tribute to the 100 most influential clinical research articles in traumatic spinal cord injury.Design: The Thomson Reuters Web of Science was searched in a two-step process without time period limitations. Review articles were excluded. In the first stage of data extraction, a Boolean query was used to identify the top 100 most cited clinical papers on traumatic spinal cord injury. One hundred and seven keywords were manually chosen and extracted from titles and abstracts. A second Boolean query used these keywords to broaden search results. The top 100 articles from this second stage search comprised the final list.Outcome Measures: For each article, measures evaluated were number of citations, average number of citations per year, time elapsed before first citation, and time elapsed until the year in which each article received its respective highest number of citations in a one-year period.Results: 119,991 articles were found in the second stage search. The top 100 most cited articles meeting inclusion criteria were identified within the first 2,104 results. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation was the most represented journal, with 20 of the top 100 articles. The top 100 list averaged 255 citations per article. The most highly cited article was the NASCIS 2 trial by Bracken et al., cited 1500 times, which investigated the efficacy of methylprednisolone or naloxone for spinal cord injury.Conclusion: Clinical research in traumatic spinal cord injury has grown over time, expanding to encompass rehabilitation and experimental therapies in addition to acute management trials. The list may serve as an archive and reference for further studies in this field.

Top 100 Most-Cited Articles on Pituitary Adenoma: A Bibliometric Analysis

BACKGROUND

Many articles have been published on pituitary adenomas. Bibliometric analyses are helpful for determining the most impactful studies within a field.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the top 100 most-cited articles on pituitary adenomas using the bibliometric analysis method.

METHODS

We searched the Thomson Reuters Web of Science on March 31, 2018. Articles were listed in descending order by the total citation (TC) number, and the most-cited articles on pituitary adenomas were identified and analyzed.

RESULTS

The most-cited articles were published between 1970 and 2014, with 1999 as the most prolific year. Growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma was the most commonly studied tumor subtype (43%), and in clinical studies, treatment options and follow-up were the most important research focuses (62%). The average number of TCs was 326, and the average number of annual citations (ACs) was 17. More review articles were published in the last decade, and the average number of ACs was higher for this decade than for previous decades. Twenty-one articles were recognized as citation Ccassics, with a TC number >400. Twenty-five journals published the top 100 works; Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published the most articles (25%). The most articles (43%) were published in the United States. S. Melmed wrote the greatest number of publications (14%). Departments of medicine (32%) and endocrinology (32%) contributed to the largest number of articles.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified the research focuses and trends regarding pituitary adenoma and provides key references for investigators in guiding future pituitary adenoma research.

The Top 50 Most-Cited Articles on Acoustic Neuroma

BACKGROUND

Acoustic neuroma is the most common extra-axial primary cerebellopontine angle tumor in adults. A plethora of studies have been published on acoustic neuroma, but none of the previous works have highlighted the most influential articles. Our objective was to perform a bibliometric analysis of the 50 most-cited articles on acoustic neuroma.

METHODS

We performed a title-specific search on the Scopus database using the following search terms: "acoustic neuroma," "vestibular schwannoma," and "cerebellopontine angle." We recorded the 50 most-cited articles and reviewed them.

RESULTS

The 50 most-cited articles had an average of 175 citations per article. All articles were published between 1980 and 2006, with 1997 the most prolific year, when 7 articles were published. The journals Neurosurgery and Laryngoscope published 10 and 8 of these articles, respectively. The most common study categories were nonsurgical management (17/50) and surgical management (13/50). Studies were predominantly published by otolaryngologists (22/50) and neurosurgeons (14/50). Douglas Kondziolka was the author with the highest number of contributions, with 7 publications. The majority of the articles were produced in the United States (64%).

CONCLUSIONS

Identifying articles on acoustic neuroma with the most impact provides an important overview of the historical development of treatment methods and publication trends related to this condition. A finalized, comprehensive list of the most important works represents an excellent tool that can serve as a guide for evidence-based clinical practice.

The Top-100 Most-Cited Articles on Meningioma

BACKGROUND

There is an abundance of articles published on meningioma.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the 100 most-cited articles on meningioma and to perform a bibliometric analysis.

METHODS

In November 2016, we performed a title-specific search of the Scopus database using "meningioma" as our search query term without publication date restrictions. The top 100 most cited articles were obtained and reviewed.

RESULTS

The top 100 most cited articles received a mean 198 citations per paper. Publication dates ranged from 1953 to 2013; most articles were published between 1994 and 2003, with 50 articles published during that period. NEUROSURGERY published the greatest number of top cited articles (22 of 100). The most frequent study categories were laboratorial studies (31 of 100) and natural history studies (28 of 100). Nonoperative management studies were twice as common as operative management studies in the top-cited articles. Neurosurgery as a specialty contributed to 50% of the top 100 list. The most contributing institute was the Mayo Clinic (11%); the majority of the top cited articles originated in the United States (53%).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified the top 100 most-cited articles on meningioma that may be considered significant and impactful works, as well as the most noteworthy. In addition, we recognized the historical development and advances in meningioma research and the important contributions of various authors, specialty fields, and countries. A large proportion of the most cited articles were written by authors other than neurosurgeons, and many of these articles were published in non-neurosurgery journals.