Publication Trends in Thoracic Outlet Syndrome: A Bibliometric Analysis

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) encompasses neurogenic, arterial, and venous disorders caused by neurovascular compression at the thoracic outlet. Despite increasing clinical interest, contemporary evaluations of recent research trends remain limited. This study provides a bibliometric analysis of TOS publications, exploring authorship, geography, journals, and themes to identify research trends and gaps in the last 2 years.

A cross-sectional bibliometric analysis was conducted using Google Scholar to identify English-language journal articles on TOS published in 2024 and 2025. Eligible studies were screened by title, abstract, and full text. Data extracted included publication type, journal category, impact factor, access status, authorship characteristics, geographic origin, collaboration patterns, TOS subtype, and primary research focus. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize findings.

Among 219 included articles, 118 (53.88%) were published in 2025 and 101 (46.12%) in 2024. Case reports predominated (72, 32.88%), followed by cohort studies (51, 23.29%). Vascular surgery journals published 50 studies (22.83%). Neurogenic TOS was most frequently addressed (97, 44.29%), followed by arterial (29, 13.24%) and venous TOS (26, 11.87%). Surgical management was the main focus in 66 studies (30.14%). Of 1,123 authors, vascular surgeons comprised the largest group (281, 25.02%). The United States led publication output (89, 36.33%), although international collaboration was limited to 21 studies (9.59%).

Recent TOS research is characterized by predominantly low-level evidence and a strong surgical focus, with vascular surgeons leading much of the literature and the United States representing the primary source of publications, underscoring the need for higher-quality, collaborative studies.