Current Global Research Trends of Tethered Cord Syndrome Surgery: A Scientometric and Visual Analysis

Since tethered cord syndrome (TCS) may lead to neurologic and motor dysfunction, surgeries often are applied to relieve the symptoms. The aim of the research was to explore the current global research trends of TCS surgery. In this article, articles on TCS surgery in the Web of Science Core Collection from 1980 to 2023 were searched. Research trends, countries, institutions, journals, authors, highly cited articles, and key words were analyzed using bibliometric methods. The literature co-citation network was mapped using VOSviewer, and research hotspots and trends were analyzed using CiteSpace. A total of 432 publications were included. The number of publications and related research interest in the field of TCS surgery has increased globally year by year. The United States is the largest contributor (154 publications). The journal Childs Nervous System has the greatest number of publications (48 publications) and the most frequently cited journal is Neurosurgery (973 citations). In network visualization, the institution with the greatest contribution is University of California System (16 publications). Lee JY and Wang KC are the authors with the greatest number of publications (8 publications), and the most frequently cited author is Klekamp J (268 citations). Neurogenic bladder and spina bifida may be the next hot spot in this field. This study will help researchers to identify the mainstream research directions and the latest hotspots in the field of TCS surgery and provide a reference for further research.