The top 50 most cited articles on minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair: a bibliometric analysis
摘要
Achilles tendon rupture is an increasingly common injury seen in athletic and active populations which can be corrected through strategic operative techniques. The purpose of this study is to identify and review the top 50 most cited articles discussing minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair with regards to the operative technique, outcomes, and complications.
MethodsScopus database was used to search for publications focusing on minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair. The top 50 most cited articles were screened for inclusion criteria and reviewed for year published, journal of publication, country of origin, study type, level of evidence, and citation density.
ResultsThe total number of citations from the top 50 most cited articles was 1,415 with a range of five to 168 citations per article. The year of publication ranged from 2004 to 2020, with the majority (n = 33) being published from 2010 to 2020. The most common level of evidence rating was III (25 articles), most of which were cohort studies. The next most common level of evidence rating was IV (11 articles), which were mostly case series. The articles were written across 18 countries, most commonly the United Kingdom (18%), and were published in 28 journals with Foot and Ankle International being the most prolific journal (n = 8).
ConclusionThe results of this study highlighted the prevalence of cohort studies, case series, and technical notes for minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair research. This demonstrates the need for more research with higher level, controlled studies to examine minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair techniques, outcomes, and complications in the future.