Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41396334›Full record

ArticleJournal of robotic surgery2025

Mapping the growth of robotic neurosurgery research: Insights from more than 5,000 publications and 100 top-cited papers.

Siddig Ibrahim Abdelwahab, Manal Mohamed Elhassan Taha, Abdullah Farasani, Jobran M Moshi, Ahmad Assiri, Saeed Alshahrani, Khaled A Sahli, Hussam M Shubaily, Marwa Qadri, Amani Khardali and 1 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of robotic surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Siddig Ibrahim AbdelwahabHealth Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Manal Mohamed Elhassan TahaHealth Research Center, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah FarasaniDepartment of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Jobran M MoshiDepartment of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad AssiriDepartment of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Saeed AlshahraniDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia.
Khaled A SahliSecurity Forces Hospitals Program, General Directorate of Medical Services, Ministry of Interior, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hussam M ShubailyDepartment of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Marwa QadriDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, 45142, Saudi Arabia.
Amani KhardaliDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
Waseem HassanInstitute of Chemical Sciences, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, 25120, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. waseem_anw@yahoo.com.

Funding

Jazan University 12899-jazzan-2023-JZU-R-2-1-HW
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This bibliometric analysis mapped global research activity in robotic neurosurgery using the Scopus database. A comprehensive search string combining multiple synonyms for robotics and neurosurgery was applied across three search fields. The title–abstract–keywords (TAK) search retrieved 5196 documents, the abstract-only 1998, and the title-only 432, spanning 1982–2025. Publication activity rose sharply after 2011, accounting for 85.8%, 89.3%, and 90.0% of all records, respectively. In the TAK category, Tian, W. led with 37 publications, followed by Theodore, N. (34), Roberts, D.W. (29), Siewerdsen, J.H. (27), and Marcus, H.J. (26). Leading institutions included Harvard Medical School (100), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (77), University of Toronto (75), and Chinese Academy of Sciences (74). By country, the United States (1906) and China (839) dominated output. Major funding sources were the National Natural Science Foundation of China (341) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (224). The top journals were World Neurosurgery (307), International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (143), and International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery (114). The 100 most cited documents (1987–2023) originated from 53 sources, comprising 71 original articles and 29 reviews, with a mean of 81.37 citations per paper. Co-word dynamics (1993–2023) traced the evolution from early systems like Minerva and Pathfinder to validated spinal and brain stimulation robots. Focus shifted from image-guided and telemanipulated systems to robot-assisted spine surgery and deep brain stimulation, and later to augmented reality, autonomous navigation, and AI-based robotics. Thematic clustering indicated convergence of robotic guidance, MRI-compatible tools, and minimally invasive surgery, marking the field’s transition from feasibility testing to precision-driven clinical application. Additionally, manual review of the 25 most cited documents provided contextualized summaries of their primary themes and research emphasis, guided by citation impact and content relevance. Collectively, these findings highlight a rapidly expanding, technologically evolving field with growing clinical translation and interdisciplinary integration.

Indexed as

BibliometricsNeurosurgeryNeurosurgical ProceduresRobotic Surgical ProceduresHumansArtificial intelligenceBibliometric analysisCo-word dynamicsDeep brain stimulationRobotic neurosurgerySpine surgery

Identifiers

PMID41396334

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.