Background: Traditional education in neurosurgery primarily relies on observation, giving residents and interns limited opportunities for clinical practice. However, the development of 3D printing has the potential to improve this situation. Based on bibliometrics, we analyze the application of 3D printing technology in neurosurgery medical education and surgical training. Methods: We searched the publications in this field in Web of Science core collection database from September 2000 to September 2023. VOS viewer, Citespace and Microsoft Office Excel were used to visually analyze and draw knowledge graphs. Results: A total of 231 articles and reviews were included. The United States is the country with the largest volume of articles and Mayo Clinic is the leading organization in this field. Partnership between countries, authors and institutions is also presented. World Neurosurgery is the journal with the highest number of publications. The top three key words by occurrence rate are “3D printing”, “surgery” and “simulation”. Conclusions: In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the research in this field. According to bibliometric analysis, “accuracy” and “surgery simulation” are the research focuses in this field, while “augment reality” is the potential research target.

In 1859, the French invasion of Gia Dinh marked the beginning of their acquisition of Cochinchina. Shortly after their arrival, France brought printers on their ships, along with firearms and artillery. The printers were intended to quickly disseminate the policies of the invading army to the inhabitants of the occupied territory. At the end of 1861, the inaugural official newspaper in Cochinchina, ‘Le Bulletin officiel de l’expédition française de la Cochinchine’, had been published. The Royal Printing House (l’Imprimerie Impériale), the first printing facility in Cochinchina, was also established at the end of 1861 to accommodate printing tasks, particularly the production of gazettes. In 1873, various private printing houses emerged in Saigon-Cho Lon. Printing and publishing efforts gradually assimilated into the social fabric of Cochinchina after serving as a tool of the invaders. They transformed into political and cultural institutions within colonial society, notably in Saigon-Cho Lon. The progression of these activities during the process was observable, at least for those granted permission to participate. The requirements of the colonial environment and the vitality of the private sector fuelled these new activities, although the colonial authorities deemed it necessary to exert control over them. This article offers additional information on the printing and publishing activities in Saigon-Cho Lon, Vietnam, highlighting the accomplishments of some distinguished printers.