Table 1.
Top 20 cited papers in the spine journal, 1990-2009
| Rank | Ref. | Title | Number of citations |
| 1 | Ware et al[23] | SF-36 health survey update | 491 |
| 2 | Bigos et al[24] | A prospective study of work perceptions and psychological factors affecting the report of back injury | 460 |
| 3 | Deyo et al[25] | Outcome measures for low back pain research - A proposal for standardized use | 432 |
| 4 | Hodges et al[28] | Inefficient muscular stabilization of the lumbar spine associated with low back pain - A motor control evaluation of transversus abdominis | 388 |
| 5 | Banwart et al[29] | Iliac crest bone-graft harvest donor site morbidity- A statistical evaluation | 384 |
| 6 | Zdeblick et al[30] | A prospective, randomized study of lumbar fusion – preliminary results | 376 |
| 7 | Beaton et al[31] | Guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures | 364 |
| 8 | Buckwalter et al[32] | Spine update- Aging and degeneration of the human intervertebral disc | 358 |
| 9 | Spitzer et al[33] | Scientific monograph of the Quebec task-force on whiplash-associated disorders-Redefining whiplash and its management | 348 |
| 10 | Garfin et al[34] | New technologies in spine - Kyphoplasty and vertebrosplasty for the treatment of painful osteoporotic compression fractures | 335 |
| 11 | Lieberman et al[35] | Initial outcome and efficacy of “kyphoplasty” in the treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures | 330 |
| 12 | Barr et al[36] | Percutaneous vertebroplasty for pain relief and spinal stabilization | 328 |
| 13 | Patrick et al[37] | Assessing health-related quality-of-life in patients with sciatica | 311 |
| 14 | O'Sullivan et al[38] | Evaluation of specific stabilizing exercise in the treatment of chronic low back pain with radiologic diagnosis of spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis | 299 |
| 15 | Marras et al[39] | The role of dynamic 3-dimensial trunk motion in occupationally-related low back disorders- The effects of workplace factors, trunk position, and trunk motion characteristics on risk of injury | 289 |
| 16 | Klenerman et al[27] | The prediction of chronicity in patients with an acute attack of low-back pain in a general-practice setting | 287 |
| 17 | Olmarker et al[40] | Autologous nucleus pulposus induces neurophysiologic and histologic changes in porcine cauda-equina nerve roots | 282 |
| 18 | Fritzell et al[41] | 2001 Volvo Award winner in clinical studies: Lumbar fusion versus nonsurgical treatment for chronic low back pain - A multicenter randomized controlled trial from the Swedish Lumbar Spine Study Group | 268 |
| 18 | Thompson et al[42] | Preliminary evaluation of a scheme for grading the gross morphology of the human intervertebral disk | 268 |
| 20 | Bovim et al[43] | Neck pain in the general population | 267 |