Extended reality in cranial and spinal neurosurgery – a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Purpose

This bibliometric analysis of the top 100 cited articles on extended reality (XR) in neurosurgery aimed to reveal trends in this research field. Gender differences in authorship and global distribution of the most-cited articles were also addressed.

Methods

A Web of Science electronic database search was conducted. The top 100 most-cited articles related to the scope of this review were retrieved and analyzed for trends in publications, journal characteristics, authorship, global distribution, study design, and focus areas. After a brief description of the top 100 publications, a comparative analysis between spinal and cranial publications was performed.

Results

From 2005, there was a significant increase in spinal neurosurgery publications with a focus on pedicle screw placement. Most articles were original research studies, with an emphasis on augmented reality (AR). In cranial neurosurgery, there was no notable increase in publications. There was an increase in studies assessing both AR and virtual reality (VR) research, with a notable emphasis on VR compared to AR. Education, surgical skills assessment, and surgical planning were more common themes in cranial studies compared to spinal studies. Female authorship was notably low in both groups, with no significant increase over time. The USA and Canada contributed most of the publications in the research field.

Conclusions

Research regarding the use of XR in neurosurgery increased significantly from 2005. Cranial research focused on VR and resident education while spinal research focused on AR and neuronavigation. Female authorship was underrepresented. North America provides most of the high-impact research in this area.

Supplementary information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00701-024-06072-4.