The fifty most cited publications in shoulder arthroplasty research

Introduction Frequency of citation provides one quantitative metric of the impact that an article has on a given field. The purpose of this study was to evaluate characteristics of the 50 most cited publications on shoulder arthroplasty. Methods The Web of Science database was used to determine the 50 most frequently cited shoulder arthroplasty articles. Articles were evaluated for several factors including type of arthroplasty, citation frequency and rate, source journal, country of origin, study type, and level of evidence. Results The most common countries of origin were the United States (60%) followed by France (24%) and Switzerland (6%). A total of 27 (54%) articles included anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), 18 (36%) included reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA), and 15 (30%) included hemiarthroplasty. Articles including RTSA had the greatest number of citations compared to those on TSA (p=0.037) and hemiarthroplasty (p=0.035). Citations per year were also greatest with RTSA compared to TSA and hemiarthroplasty (p <= 0.001). Discussion This citation analysis includes many of the landmark studies that shaped, and continue to impact, the field of shoulder arthroplasty. This list provides a group of influential articles that provide a foundation for future research in shoulder arthroplasty.