The Top 50 Most Cited Articles on Iliotibial Band Syndrome: a bibliometric analysis

Background Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) is a common overuse injury that is found predominantly in athletes that undergo extensive repetitive lower extremity movement such as runners and cyclists. Despite extensive literature relating to ITBS, the quality of evidence and research trends remain unclear. Methods A literature search was conducted using the Web of Science platform to identify the top cited papers on IT band syndrome. The final selection of 50 English-language articles was analyzed for journal, author location, citation count, publication year, citation density, general topic, and level of evidence (LOE). Kruskal-Wallis tests assessed citation differences across categories, followed by Dunn’s tests when appropriate (p < 0.05). Results The top 50 most cited papers on iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) had a total of 3,938 citations (mean 78.8 ± 75.5). The average citation density was 4.3 ± 3.7, with a maximum of 18.4. Publication years ranged from 1980 to 2018, with 28% published before 2000. These papers appeared in 32 journals, most commonly in The American Journal of Sports Medicine (12%). Authors from the United States contributed to 62% of the publications. The most common levels of evidence were IV (46%) and V (38%). Dominant topics included anatomy/pathophysiology (32%) and biomechanics/gait analysis (32%). Citation density differed significantly by topic (p = 0.033), with biomechanics/gait analysis papers receiving more citations than those on diagnosis/imaging (p = 0.032) and surgical management (p = 0.011). Citation density was also positively associated with the more recent publication year (p = 0.04). Conclusion The most influential literature on ITBS is largely composed of older, lower-level evidence studies, with a predominant focus on anatomy and biomechanics. Despite advances in sports medicine, high-level evidence on ITBS remains limited. These findings underscore the need for more contemporary, high-quality studies to guide evidence-based management of ITBS.