Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (27): 7229-7236.doi: 10.12307/2026.406

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Bibliometric analysis of development of precision, minimally invasive and intelligent robot-assisted spinal surgery

Wan Ronghao1, 2, Shi Zhan1, Jiang Jile1, Han Xiao1, He Da1, Wu Jingye1   

  1. 1Department of Spine Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100035, China; 2Department of Orthopedics, Longchang People’s Hospital, Longchang 642150, Sichuan Province, China
  • Received:2025-09-10 Accepted:2025-11-08 Online:2026-09-28 Published:2026-05-27
  • Contact: Wu Jingye, MD, Associate chief physician, Associate professor, Department of Spine Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100035, China
  • About author:Wan Ronghao, MS, Attending physician, Department of Spine Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100035, China; Department of Orthopedics, Longchang People’s Hospital, Longchang 642150, Sichuan Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Key Research and Development Program of China, No. 2022YFC2407200 (to WJY), No. 2022YFC2407204 (to WJY)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent years, the application of robot-assisted surgery technology in the field of spinal surgery has become increasingly widespread, significantly enhancing the precision and minimally invasive level of surgeries and promoting the rapid development of this field. However, with the explosive growth of related literature, researchers urgently need to conduct systematic bibliometric analysis to sort out the research hotspots, cooperation networks and development trends in this field, so as to grasp the future research directions and promote academic exchanges and cooperation. 
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the research hotspots, development trends, and domestic and international cooperation characteristics of robot-assisted surgical techniques in the field of spinal surgeries and explore their promoting effects on the precision and minimally invasive nature of spinal surgeries using bibliometric methods. 
METHODS: Original research papers on robot-assisted spinal surgery published in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) database of the Web of Science (WOS) core collection were searched from January 1, 2005 to March 31, 2025. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science online analysis platform, the Bibliometric platform, and the VOSviewer software. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) A total of 772 original research articles were included in this study. The research on robot-assisted spinal surgery has been growing rapidly, with an average annual publication volume exceeding 50 since 2019, reaching a historical peak of 136 in 2024. (2) China (279 articles) and the United States (255 articles) are the countries with the highest publication volume, while the United Kingdom has the highest average citation frequency (69.57 times). (3) International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery (84 articles) and Spine (33 articles, with a total citation frequency of 539 times) are the core journals in this research field. The research hotspots focus on the accuracy and safety of robot-assisted spinal pedicle screw placement, with high-frequency keywords including “accuracy,” “navigation,” “pedicle screw,” etc. (4) The international cooperation network shows that China, the United States, and Germany have close cooperation. Beijing Jishuitan Hospital in China is the core research institution, and Professor Da He is the author with the highest publication volume (21 articles). (5) The highly cited literature mainly focuses on the comparative studies of robot-assisted and traditional surgical methods in terms of screw placement accuracy, safety, and radiation dose. (6) Robot-assisted surgical technology is promoting the development of spinal surgery towards precision, minimally invasive, and intelligent directions. In the future, it is necessary to continue to strengthen cross-disciplinary cooperation at home and abroad to promote greater development in this field.


Key words: robot, robot-assisted surgery, orthopedics, spinal surgery, bibliometrics, visualization analysis

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