Correlation between Quality of Evidence and Number of Citations in Top 100 Cited Hallux Valgus Articles

Abstract

Abstract Background: The measurement of a scientific article’s impact has frequently relied on the quantity of citations it garners. Analyzing citations can be instrumental in identifying influential work within medical specialties. This study aims to elucidate the metrics and levels of evidence pertaining to articles concerning Hallux valgus. Materials and Methods: This study conducted an extensive review of the 100 most-cited articles concerning “hallux valgus” and “bunion” by performing electronic database searches. Each article underwent a thorough examination, encompassing factors such as the number of citations, publication type, journal specialty, authorship, country of origin, publication year, level of evidence, and total sample size. Results: The citations for the reviewed articles ranged from 68 to 424. These 100 most-cited articles were found across 24 different journals, covering a spectrum from general to more specialized subspecialty journals. Around 45% of these articles were published in Foot & Ankle International. In terms of the level of evidence, the majority of articles (34 of 100) were classified as level V. Additionally, a significant number of articles were categorized as case series (n = 28) and expert opinions (n = 19). The median sample size for experimental studies was 44. Notably, only 3 of the 100 articles qualified as randomized controlled trials. Conclusions: The median year of publication for the most-cited articles, 2003, indicates a requirement for more recent studies investigating hallux valgus. The scarcity of articles with high evidence levels (1 or 2) and the small median sample size highlight the lack of scientifically robust research on hallux valgus. Furthermore, the analysis reveals a weak positive correlation (r = 0.149) between the strength of evidence and the number of citations in the top 100 articles related to hallux valgus.