Spinal Cord. 2026 Apr 28. doi: 10.1038/s41393-026-01209-x. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
STUDY DESIGN: Bibliometric analysis.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the global application of the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) and identify status and emerging trends in SCI research.
SETTING: Not applicable.
METHODS: Articles published between 2020 and 2023 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Data on disciplines, ISNCSCI versions, research aims, journals, keywords, countries, authors, and collaboration patterns were manually extracted. Visualization and mapping analyses were performed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace.
RESULTS: A total of 595 articles involving 3498 authors from 46 countries were included. Among them, 569 were ISNCSCI application studies and 26 were development or version-related studies. Within the application studies, the leading disciplines were neurology (507 articles), orthopedics (180), and rehabilitation (179). The 2011 ISNCSCI edition was the most frequently reported version (30.8%), although 56.2% of studies did not specify the version. The journals publishing the most articles were Spinal Cord, Journal of Neurotrauma, and Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The main research topics were SCI prognosis (15.8%), rehabilitation efficacy (15.4%), and SCI-related complications (15.4%). The United States, China, and Canada were the top publishing countries. Frequently emerging keywords in 2023 included "predictors," "cardiovascular disease," "features," and "disability."
CONCLUSION: ISNCSCI is a widely accepted standardized tool in SCI research and clinical practice. The field is characterized by expanding international participation, stronger interdisciplinary collaboration, and increasingly diverse applications. Better reporting of ISNCSCI versions may improve consistency and comparability across future studies.
SPONSORSHIP: None.
PMID:42050015 | DOI:10.1038/s41393-026-01209-x