Mixed Reality Technology in Cranial and Spinal Neurosurgery From 2016 to 2025: A Bibliometric Analysis

This study aims to systematically clarify the research status, developmental trends, and hot frontiers of mixed reality technology in cranial and spinal neurosurgery from 2016 to 2025.

Relevant publications published between 2016 and 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database, and a total of 1006 valid articles were finally included. Bibliometric and visual analyses were conducted by CiteSpace version 7.0 and VOSviewer software. Systematic evaluations were performed from multiple dimensions, including publication trends, countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, highly cited articles, cocitation networks, and keyword evolution.

The annual publication output in this field showed a significant and rapid growth trend over the past decade. The United States ranked first worldwide in terms of publication volume, total citations, and H-index. Johns Hopkins University, the University of Zurich, and the Karolinska Institutet were the core research institutions. World Neurosurgery published the largest number of relevant articles, and review articles accounted for the majority of highly cited papers. The research focus has gradually shifted from the early verification of technical feasibility to clinical efficacy-oriented directions such as clinical accuracy and navigation system optimization. Spinal surgical navigation, craniocerebral surgical training, and neurological rehabilitation were the core research hotspots.

Mixed reality in neurosurgery has entered a critical stage of rapid development and clinical translation. The findings of this study can provide comprehensive quantitative references and scientific guidance for subsequent academic research, technological innovation, and international cooperation in this field.