Temporal Trends and Leading Contributions in Cranioplasty Research: A Bibliometric Study

Cranioplasty plays a central role in reconstructive neurosurgery, restoring cranial integrity and contributing to functional and neurological recovery. Despite its clinical relevance, the scientific scenario of cranioplasty research has not been characterized. This study aimed to perform the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of cranioplasty literature, identifying temporal trends and leading contributors in the field.

The Scopus database was searched to identify original articles reporting outcomes of patients undergoing cranioplasty. Retrieved records were screened for eligibility and included for further analysis. The authors also analyzed the top 100 most-cited articles. Data analyses were performed using the Bibliometrix package in R. Duplicate and inconsistent data were manually reviewed and corrected.

The search identified 6452 articles, of which 1527 original studies met the inclusion criteria. The annual publication growth rate was 6.17%, with a peak in 2024 (113 articles). The mean number of citations per article was 19.87, with the highest average citation rate observed in 2003 (89.3 citations per article). Seven journals accounted for one-third of the total publications, with the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery being the most productive (154 articles) and the Journal of Neurosurgery the most influential in citation impact. The most productive institution was the Johns Hopkins University (32 publications), and the United States led in scientific production (817 articles; 5447 citations). Among authors, Dr Chad R. Gordon, Dr Judy Huang, and Dr Henry Brem were the most productive, while Dr Stephen Honeybul had the highest citation count.

Our findings suggest consistent growth in scientific production, with notable contributions from leading institutions such as the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. While the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery was the most productive, the Journal of Neurosurgery was the most influential based on citation metrics.