Bibliometric analysis of the top 50 most-cited articles on cervical deformities: a web of science database study

Spine Deform. 2026 Apr 14. doi: 10.1007/s43390-026-01300-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The authors used established citation analysis methods in order to identify the 50 most influential articles on cervical deformities published from inception to 2024.

METHODS: A two-step query was conducted on the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science platform to compile the final list of fifty articles. Searches were performed in Clarivate Analytics Web of Science on June 29, 2025, using the following Web of Science Core Collection indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI; 1945-2025), Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI; 1992-2025), Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI;2021-2025), and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI; 1992-2025). A topic search for "cervical deformity" returned 3235 results, which were sorted by citation count. Forty-one keywords were generated based on recurring keywords in this result list that were related to deformity type, location and alignment, pathology, and surgical procedure from the top 100 articles. A second search using these keywords yielded 2639 results, from which the top fifty most-cited studies were selected.

RESULTS: From the 2639 results, the fifty most-cited studies on cervical deformities were identified, with citation counts ranging from 502 to 50. The most-cited article was a 2013 review by Scheer et al., the second most-cited article was a 2013 review by Ames et al. The oldest article in the top fifty list was published in 2001, and the newest article in 2020. The majority of articles were published in Spine (14), followed by European Spine Journal (9) and Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine (7). The most common topics covered were patient outcomes (n = 15) and surgical technique (n = 14). C.P. Ames and J.S. Smith were the most frequently represented authors among the first authors of papers in the top fifty studies. Citation trend analysis demonstrated negative logarithmic associations between citations per year and both time to first citation (R² = 0.0278) and time to peak citation year (R² = 0.0015).

CONCLUSIONS: This bibliometric analysis identifies the top fifty most-cited articles on cervical deformities, highlighting influential contributions to surgical techniques, radiographic assessment, and patient outcomes. Citation-timing analysis demonstrated weak negative associations between citations per year and both time to first (R² = 0.0278) and peak citation (R² = 0.0015), suggesting that while some highly cited studies are recognized earlier, the overall relationship may be limited. The findings in this study offer a reference for clinicians and researchers aiming to further establish knowledge and advance management of cervical deformities.

PMID:41981227 | DOI:10.1007/s43390-026-01300-6