100 most-cited publications in vascularized composite allotransplantation

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Science
• Bibliometrics
• Medical Research Evaluation

Background:

• Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) research has expanded significantly over the past three decades.
• However, few studies have analyzed the most influential publications in this specialized field.
• Citation analysis offers a valuable bibliometric approach to identify impactful VCA research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the 100 most-cited articles in the field of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA).
• To trace the evolution and identify key trends in VCA research through bibliometric analysis.
• To highlight seminal works and guide future research directions in VCA.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive search of the Web of Science Core Collection database was conducted up to August 4th, 2025.
• Data extracted included titles, authors, publication years, journals, regions, and citation counts.
• Articles were ranked by citations and citation density, then categorized by VCA anatomical location, topic, methodology, and study design.

Main Results:

• The top 100 most-cited VCA articles were published between 1996 and 2018, with citations ranging from 61 to 604.
• Dominant research topics included outcomes and rehabilitation (48 articles) and immunology (37 articles).
• A majority of evaluated studies (51 of 75) were classified as level 4 evidence according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.

Conclusions:

• This analysis highlights seminal and influential papers in Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA).
• The findings underscore the relative novelty of the VCA field and the critical role of ongoing immunological research.
• The study provides insights into VCA's evolution and offers direction for future clinical and preclinical studies.