The Top 50 Most-Cited Articles on Thoracolumbar Fractures

To identify the top 50 most-cited articles in the literature focusing on thoracolumbar spine fractures.

Using the ISI Web of Science version 5.11 database and the search phrase "thoracolumbar fracture," we queried for the 50 most-cited articles on thoracolumbar fractures. The study was performed in September 2017. We searched for articles published between 1900 and 2017. Articles were sorted and ranked based on the total number of citations. We evaluated the following information pertaining to each article: first author, year of publication, journal, and title.

A total of 2718 studies matched our search criteria, of which the top 50 most-cited ranged between 267 and 81 citations. Twelve articles were cited more than 200 times. The article by McLain et al. was the most-cited article, with 267 citations, followed by Vaccaro et al. with 237 and Mumford et al. with 236. The majority of the studies originated from the United States (n = 26) and were published in the 1990s. Spine was the most frequent destination journal (n = 26), followed by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (n = 7). Most of the articles focused on the clinical management of thoracolumbar fracture (82%). Vaccaro and McAfee were the most cited first authors, with 3 articles each.

Thoracolumbar fractures are the most common injuries of the spine, and the incidence is increasing globally. To understand current treatment guidelines and how treatment of these fractures has evolved, it is important to know the most-cited articles pertaining to these fractures.