Characteristics of the Top 50 Most-Cited Arthroscopic Remplissage Articles Reveal Growing Recognition But Persistent Knowledge Gaps.

PURPOSE: To identify and examine the article, author, and journal characteristics of the top 50 most-cited articles on the arthroscopic remplissage procedure for the treatment of anterior shoulder instability in the field of orthopaedic sports medicine. METHODS: A bibliometric analysis was performed for the most-cited arthroscopic remplissage articles using the Web of Science databases with the search term "remplissage" OR "posterior capsulotenodesis" OR "infraspinatus tenodesis." Articles were included if their primary focus was on the arthroscopic remplissage technique and with or without associated clinical outcomes. Articles addressing shoulder instability, shoulder dislocation, and surgical decision making without explicit reference to the arthroscopic remplissage technique were excluded. RESULTS: The top 50 articles on arthroscopic remplissage received a total of 2727 citations with an average of 55 citations per year. Citations have increased from 2008 to 2024. The most frequently cited article with the highest citations-per-year was Purchase et al. (2008), which introduced the arthroscopic remplissage technique. The top three articles were cited >100 times. The top-cited articles were predominantly published in Arthroscopy, authored most frequently (first or co-author) by Grant Garcia (10%), with the majority originating from the USA (38%), especially from University of Pennsylvania (8%). No relationship was found between level of evidence and number of citations (P = .69). Adjusted for study design and level of evidence, there was a 1.3 increase in citations per year for every 1 unit increase in journal impact factor (95% CI: 0.28-2.38, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: No relationship was found between the level of evidence and number of citations of arthroscopic Remplissage articles; however, journal impact factor was associated with citation frequency when adjusted for study design and level of evidence. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Articles with the most citations often correlate with greater influence by shaping clinical decision-making and guiding future research. By identifying and characterizing the recurrent themes of the top-cited articles, we provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution, current understanding, and impact of the arthroscopic remplissage technique in the treatment of anterior shoulder instability.