Top-cited articles in rehabilitation.

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Bibliometrics
• Research Impact Analysis

Background:

• Rehabilitation research quality and evolution are crucial for evidence-based practice.
• Identifying highly cited articles can illuminate influential research trends and methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the characteristics of the 100 top-cited articles in rehabilitation journals.
• To quantitatively assess the quality and evolution of rehabilitation research through citation analysis.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of the Institute for Scientific Information Web of Knowledge Database and Journal Citation Reports (2007-2008) was conducted.
• 30 rehabilitation journals were screened to retrieve the 100 most cited articles published between 1959 and 2002.
• Study designs were categorized, and evidence levels were evaluated using Sackett's rules by two independent reviewers.

Main Results:

• The 100 top-cited articles averaged 200 citations each, published between 1959-2002, primarily in English from North America (80%).
• These influential articles were predominantly original, prospective case series studies (67%), offering level 4 evidence.
• Key research areas included neurorehabilitation (41%), disability (19%), and biomechanics (18%).

Conclusions:

• Methodologic observational studies originating from North America and published in English have garnered the highest citations in rehabilitation journals.
• This analysis provides insights into the historical trajectory and impactful areas of rehabilitation research.