Research Tendency in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis over the Past Decade: A Bibliometric Analysis

Study Design: Bibliometric analysis. Objective: With the increasing literature of spine surgery, some pioneering research studies have had a significant impact on the field of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). The objective of the authors was to identify and analyze the most frequently cited 100 articles in this field. Methods: Web of Science was searched to identify 100 top-cited articles related to LSS from 2000 to 2019. Articles on the final list were filtered based on their titles and abstracts. The following information were recorded and analyzed with bibliometric method: article title, first author, year of publication, journal of publication, total number of citations, country, institution, and study topic. Results: The citation count for final articles on the list ranged from 71 to 2162, with a mean number of 207.7. The journal Spine contributed the maximum number of articles (37), followed by European Spine Journal (9) and Pain Physician (8). There were collectively 80 first authors contributing to articles on the final list. Twelve authors were represented multiple times in the top 100 articles. The most prolific years were 2008 and 2009, each had 11 articles published. With regard to country and region of origin, most articles were from the United States (58). The most cited article was published in Spine in 2000 by Fairbank and Pynsent, who discussed the role of the Oswestry Disability Index as an evaluation standard in spinal disorders, including LSS. Conclusion: The current study analyzed the 100 most cited articles on LSS. It no doubt developed a useful resource with detailed information for many, particularly orthopedic and neurosurgery physicians who want to assimilate research focus and advance of LSS within a relatively short period. Researchers may benefit from emphasis on citation count while citing and evaluating articles and realize the deficiencies when high-level articles appear.

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High Rate of Studies with Level 1 and 2 Evidence among the 100 Most Cited Articles in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Journal of Neurological Surgery Part A Central European Neurosurgery ◽

10.1055/s-0040-1720993 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Juan Martínez-Andrés ◽

María Ayala-Gascón ◽

Gonzalo Mariscal ◽

Joaquín Alfonso-Beltrán ◽

Carlos Barrios

Keyword(s):

Bibliometric Analysis ◽

Spinal Stenosis ◽

Lumbar Spinal Stenosis ◽

High Rate ◽

Multicenter Studies ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Thomson Reuters ◽

Clinical Series ◽

Evidence Type ◽

Lumbar Spinal

Abstract Background To date, no study has used bibliometric analysis to review the most influential articles in lumbar spinal stenosis. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the characteristics and the level of evidence of the 100 most cited articles on lumbar spinal stenosis Methods The Thomson Reuters Web of Science was accessed to find the 100 most cited articles on lumbar spinal stenosis. For each article, we recorded the number and density of citations, authors, country, journals and years, department, level of evidence, type of study, and if it was part of any multicenter studies. Results Until January 2017, the 100 most cited articles accumulated 11,136 citations (average: 259.05/y), ranging individually between 442 and 50 (average: 111.36). The first reference was published in 1974 in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. Therapeutic studies (n = 40), the 1990s (n = 46), United States as country of origin (n = 51), Harvard University as institution (n = 16), Katz JN as author (n = 10), and Spine as journal (n = 48) have the hegemony. Many were multicenter (n = 42) and using level 2 evidence (n = 49). There is an inverse relationship between citation index and long-standing studies, maintenance of those most cited, and a temporary advance toward better levels of evidence. Conclusion This bibliometric analysis reveals a good level of evidence in the published clinical series and includes 100 articles useful for the approach of lumbar spinal stenosis.

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