Editorial Commentary: The Top Cited Rotator Cuff Repair Articles: It's All About Popular

The Thomson Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science database was used to rank the top 50 articles regarding rotator cuff repair by number of citations received. Although the number of citations is a useful benchmark, it must be taken as only one of many indices of the value of an article to the study of orthopaedics. The most cited articles are out of date, reflecting that a longer time in publication allows more time for citation, and most have low levels of evidence (Level IV, retrospective case series absent a control group).