Research Trends in Presurgical Infant Orthopaedic Treatment in Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate: A Bibliometric Analysis of 100 Most-Cited Articles

Objective To assess research trends and publication patterns of literature related to presurgical infant orthopaedics (PSIO) through a bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most-cited articles. Material and methods The top 100 most-cited articles were identified in the Web of Science (WoS) database using search terms related to PSIO on April 23, 2024, without any restrictions to study design, publication date and language. Standard information about each study was extracted. Citations from WoS, Scopus and PubMed databases were compared. The level of evidence for each article included was assessed. Association between different variables was calculated using Spearman's correlation coefficient with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Visual analysis of the author's keyword co-occurrence, co-authorship analysis of authors, and citation analysis of journals and authors were performed using VOSviewer. Results Top cited articles were published from 1994 to 2020, with total individual database citations being WoS (n = 5378), Scopus (n = 6184) and PubMed (n = 10 450). Eleven articles were considered classic articles. Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Journal (Impact Factor = 1.1) had a maximum number of articles and citations. Two hundred eighty-five individuals contributed to top-cited articles, with 62 corresponding authors from 19 countries. A maximum number of authors were affiliated with universities in the United States. The most common keyword used was “nasoalveolar molding (n = 24)”, “cleft palate (n = 16)”, and “infant orthopedics (n = 16)”. The study design of the majority of articles was retrospective and follow-up studies (level 3; n = 53). A weak negative correlation was observed between citation metrics and both the publication year ( P < 0.01) and the level of evidence ( P < 0.01). Conclusion This analysis recognises the contributions of experts and offers valuable insights into trends that have shaped the development and evidence related to PSIO research. Future research should focus on integrating advanced technologies, conducting longitudinal studies, fostering collaboration, and emphasizing patient-centred outcomes.