Influential articles on shoulder arthroplasty: bibliometric analysis and visualized study.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Research Evaluation

Background:

• Global demand for shoulder arthroplasty is rising, driving significant research output.
• Characteristics and evaluation of highly cited shoulder arthroplasty research remain underexplored.
• This study addresses the need to understand influential publications in this field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the characteristics of the top 100 most cited articles in shoulder arthroplasty research.
• To identify trends, key topics, and evidence levels within influential shoulder arthroplasty literature.
• To provide insights into the evolution of research in shoulder replacement.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of publications on shoulder arthroplasty from inception to 2022.
• Identification of top 100 cited articles using Web of Science citation data.
• Data analysis included publication year, country, evidence level, and keyword clustering using VOSviewer.

Main Results:

• The top 100 articles were published between 1981 and 2018, with the 2000s being the most prolific decade.
• The United States led in publications, followed by France and Switzerland.
• Primary research themes included infection, fracture, osteoarthritis, perioperative complications, and prosthetic design, predominantly Level III evidence.

Conclusions:

• Influential shoulder arthroplasty research predominantly focuses on surgical techniques and perioperative complications.
• The majority of highly cited studies possess a relatively low level of evidence (Level III).
• Understanding these characteristics aids in navigating and advancing shoulder arthroplasty research.