Citation classics in trauma.
BACKGROUND: The evolution of trauma may be analyzed by review of articles most frequently cited by scientific articles worldwide. This study identified the "trauma classics" by reviewing the most-cited articles ever published in The Journal of Trauma. METHODS: The Science Citation Index of the Institute for Scientific Information was searched for the 50 most-cited articles in The Journal of Trauma. RESULTS: Of the 12,672 articles published since 1961, 80 were cited over 100 times and 17 over 200 times. The most-cited article was by Baker, a hallmark publication on injury scoring published in 1974. Feeding postinjury, bacterial translocation, and multiple organ failure were common themes. Overall, 32% involved gastrointestinal topics and 18% involved injury scoring, with institutions in the United States publishing 80% of the articles. CONCLUSION: This study identified the trauma classics from the last 42 years of The Journal of Trauma. Citation analysis has recognized limitations but gives a fascinating insight into the evolution of trauma care.