Global Research Trends in Anterior Cervical Fusion Surgery: a 25-Year Bibliometric Analysis.

Background: Anterior cervical fusion surgery (ACFS) is a well-established surgical intervention for cervical degenerative disease. To delineate current research trends and forecast future directions and emerging hotspots, this study conducted a bibliometric analysis of ACFS over the past 25 years.

Methods: We conducted a search in the Web of Science Core Collection database to identify articles and reviews on ACFS from 2000 to 2024. Bibliometric analysis was performed using CiteSpace 6.3.R3 and Bibliometrix (R package).

Results: A total of 4,002 articles and reviews were analyzed. This study revealed consistent growth in publications over time. China and the United States were the leading contributors in publications, authors, and institutional output, with Rush University ranking first among institutions (226 papers). SPINE ranked first in both publication volume (n=487) and total citations (n=24,881), highlighting its pivotal role in the field. Among authors, Liu H published the most papers (n=104), while Riew KD received the highest citations (n=2,399). The most frequently used keywords were "diskectomy" (948), "spine" (826), and "fusion" (733), with "interbody fusion" being the earliest (2000) and most impactful keyword (burst strength: 45.66).

Conclusions: This study provides a comprehensive overview of ACFS research over the past 25 years through bibliometric analysis. The findings enhance understanding of current research landscapes and aid in anticipating future developments in this field.