The Top 50 Most Cited Articles on the Medial Patellofemoral Ligament (MPFL): A Bibliometric Analysis

Objectives: To determine which original articles on the topic of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) have been cited the most in the literature utilizing a bibliometric approach. Secondarily, to determine temporal trends between article types. Methods: Articles on the topic of the MPFL were identified by utilizing the Web of Science Database. The search yielded 1,596 results and the top 50 cited original articles were collected for further analysis. The following information was gathered for all included articles: title, first author\u27s name, journal name, year of publication, impact factor of the journal in 2021, total number of citations of the article, average citations per year (ACY), geographic origin, institutions, research theme, and keywords. Articles were then grouped into one of three categories: cadaveric/anatomic, clinical, and radiologic. Results: The total number of citations was 10,393. Publication dates ranged from 1992 to 2015 and majority of articles originated in the United States (38%). Most were published between the years 2000-2009 (66%) and in the journal, American Journal of Sports Medicine (34%). The mean ACY was 11.73 ± SD 5.86 and the Kawasaki Municipal Hospital was the institution with the most articles included in the top 50 (n=6, 12%). The top-cited articles focused on 3 themes: cadaveric/anatomic (n=18, 36%), clinical (n=25, 50%), and radiologic (n=7, 14%). Cadaveric/anatomic articles had the highest average number of citations at 271.4 ± 153.9, followed by radiologic (173.3 ± 53.0) and clinical articles (171.8 ± 102.4). The two most common keywords were “medial patellofemoral ligament” (53%) and “patella” (23%). Over time, clinical articles were more likely to be included in the top 50 list, compared to cadaveric/anatomic/radiologic articles. Conclusion: The current study showcased that the MPFL is a growing area of research. The most impactful articles relate to cadaveric/anatomic articles; however, over time, clinical articles became more prevalent