Introduction: Citation number can be used as a marker of a scientific article's influence. This study sought to determine and characterize the most-cited investigations on lateral epicondylitis and identify the most influential studies pertaining to this pathology.
Methods: The Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science database was queried for articles investigating lateral epicondylitis, and the 50 most-cited articles were selected. For each article, number of citations, citation density, journal, publication year, country of origin, language, article type, article subtype, and level of evidence were recorded.
Results: Citation numbers ranged from 72 to 332 (mean, 127.4), and densities ranged from 1.6 to 34.0 (mean, 9.4). Articles were published across 26 different journals. Most articles (41) were clinical, with randomized controlled trials (29.3%) being the most commonly cited articles.
Discussion: Compared with previous investigations looking at citation density within orthopaedics, the most commonly cited clinical articles on lateral epicondylitis had a high percentage of level I or II evidence (39.0%). This compilation of the literature can aid in establishing reading curriculums for trainees in both orthopaedic residencies and fellowships. This is a Level V study.