Landmarks in facial reanimation - a bibliometric analysis of the 50 most cited papers in dynamic facial reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Advances in the field of facial reanimation surgery have resulted in an increase in the quantity of published research in the international literature. The aim of this work is to provide the reader a synthesized view of the most influential themes, articles and authors in this field. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We searched the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Citation Index to identify the 50 most cited papers in dynamic facial reanimation in the past 70 years. Data regarding article title, authors, year of publication, total citations and citation index was obtained. Results are presented using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The most cited articles were distributed in 16 journals. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery had the highest number of highly cited works with 27 articles, followed by JPRAS (5 papers) and the Journal of Neurosurgery (4 papers). The United States contributed most (17 papers), followed by Canada and Japan (6 each). Dr. Julia K. Terzis was the most cited author (7 works). Case series and comparative studies were the most prevalent type of article published (96%) from 1953 to 2015. The most cited paper focused on free functional muscle transfer (FFMT). Most articles were level IV research, with a mean citation index of 5.27 +/- 2.85. CONCLUSION: This collection offers a clear overview of the key milestones and advancements in the field. We expect it serves as a practical resource for clinicians and researchers striving to advance the science and practice of facial reanimation surgery.