Anatomical Research Trends in Neurosurgical Journals (2020–2024): A Bibliometric and Content Analysis

This study evaluated anatomy-focused articles published between 2020 and 2024 in 23 neurosurgery journals indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) through bibliometric and content analysis. Out of 34,952 articles reviewed, only 162 (0.46%) were directly related to anatomy. Most of these publications (76.5%) were original research articles, and the most frequently used methods were cadaveric dissection and radiological analysis. The contribution of anatomists remained limited (41.35%), with only five papers authored exclusively by anatomists. World Neurosurgery had the highest number of anatomy-related publications, while the United States ranked first and Turkey second among contributing countries. The findings indicate that, despite neuroanatomy’s fundamental role in neurosurgical practice, it remains underrepresented in the literature. The study highlights that anatomy-based research is essential for surgical planning, complication prevention, and intraoperative guidance. Therefore, promoting multidisciplinary collaborations and encouraging anatomy-focused publication policies are crucial for enhancing both scientific productivity and the overall quality of neurosurgical education.