Global Trends and Hotspots in Endoscopic Discectomy: A Study Based on Bibliometric Analysis

Objective: With the advancement of minimally invasive spine surgery, endoscopic discectomy (ED) has become a common technique for degenerative disease of the spine. The present study aimed to explore the knowledge structure, emerging trends, and future research hotspots in this field.Methods: All relevant publications on ED from 2002 to 2021 were extracted from the Web of Science databases. Key bibliometric indicators, including countries/regions, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords were calculated and evaluated using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software.Results: A total of 1,196 articles and reviews were included for analysis. The number of publications regarding ED increased yearly. From the quality and quantity viewpoint, China, South Korea, and the United States were the major contributors in this field. The most influential institution in the field of ED was Wooridul Spine Hospital. We identified 3,488 authors, among which Lee SH had the most significant number of papers, and Ruetten S was cocited most often. <<i>World Neurosurgery was the journal with the most papers, and Spine was the most commonly cocited journal. Keywords were stratified into 4 clusters by VOSviewer software: cluster 1 (clinical outcomes of ED in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation); cluster 2 (surgical technique of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy); cluster 3 (clinical outcomes of ED in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis); and cluster 4 (clinical outcomes of percutaneous endoscopic cervical discectomy). Several topics including lateral recess stenosis, spinal stenosis, and reoperation were considered as the next hotspot in ED research.Conclusion: ED research has gained considerable attention over the last 2 decades. Our bibliometric findings illuminate the publication trends and research hotspots of the ED field, which may provide useful references for scholars and decision-makers interested in this field.