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CC BY 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2025; 52(01): 046-052
DOI: 10.1055/a-2380-4278
Research/Experimental
Original Article

Application of the Relative Citation Ratio to Assess Common Characteristics of the Highest Impact Articles in Reconstructive Microsurgery

Amir-Ala Mahmoud 
1   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
,
Dominick J. Falcon 
1   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
,
Valeria P. Bustos 
1   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
,
Maria J. Escobar-Domingo 
1   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
,
Bernard T. Lee 
1   Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
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Abstract

Background The purpose of this review is to characterize themes among the five reconstructive microsurgery articles achieving the highest Relative Citation Ratios (RCRs) published in the past 20 years in the top journals. In doing so, researchers may be better informed on how to propose salient research questions to impact the field and understand future directions in plastic surgery.

Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with articles published in the top three journals based on the Impact Factor: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery, and Annals of Plastic Surgery. A search strategy with controlled vocabulary and keywords was conducted in PubMed to extract all reconstructive microsurgery (RM) articles published between 2002 and 2020. A two-stage screening process to include only RM studies was performed, with a third reviewer moderating discordances. Articles' RCR data were extracted from the National Institutes of Health iCite. The top five articles with the highest RCRs were selected for analysis.

Results We identified three features reflecting educational and clinical trends within RM that might be representative of super-performance in plastic surgery journals. These include (1) relevance to high-yield techniques in RM such as tissue flap procurement, indications, and outcomes, (2) identification of gaps in current knowledge of these topics, and (3) use of media and algorithms to provide clear recommendations.

Conclusion Researchers hoping to have an impactful contribution should pose research questions that address these key themes. The RCR index is a valuable tool to appreciate performance within microsurgery literature and clinical trends within the field.

Keywords

microsurgery - free tissue flap - relative citation ratio - plastic surgery - reconstructive surgery

Ethical Approval

This paper did not require Ethical/IRB approval.


Patient Consent

This paper did not require patient consent.


Authors' Contributions

A-A.M.: Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal analysis, Data curation, Writing—original draft preparation


D.J.F.: Data curation, Writing—review and editing


V.P.B.: Conceptualization, Data curation, Writing—review and editing


M.J.E-D.: Writing—review and editing


B.T.L.: Conceptualization, Supervision




Publication History

Received: 12 August 2023

Accepted: 27 July 2024

Accepted Manuscript online:
06 August 2024

Article published online:
12 September 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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