Research hotspots and frontier trends of articular cartilage regeneration and repair technology in knee osteoarthritis: A bibliometric study and visual analysis.

Abstract

This study aims to systematically explore the research hotspots and emerging trends in articular cartilage regeneration and repair within the context of KOA through bibliometric and visualization analysis, thereby providing valuable references for future research and clinical practice. This study systematically reviewed and aggregated research literature from the past two decades concerning the application of articular cartilage regeneration and repair technologies in KOA, as indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Employing bibliometric methods, we conducted a statistical analysis of these publications and utilized visualization tools to construct scientific knowledge maps, thereby providing a clear depiction of the research framework and developmental trends within this field. An analysis of 682 publications revealed a steep, two-decade rise in both annual output and citations. The United States dominates production, with the University of California System contributing the largest share. Koh YG emerged as the most prolific and highly cited author. <i>Osteoarthritis Cartilage</i> leads journals in article count and citations, reflecting its outsized influence. Orthopedics predominates by frequency, whereas Biochemistry Molecular Biology exhibits the highest betweenness centrality, bridging disparate research strands. Current focal points include stem cells, platelet-rich plasma, intraarticular injection, hyaluronic acid, inflammation, regenerative medicine, cartilage regeneration, extracellular vesicles, exosomes, tissue engineering, management, and efficacy, collectively delineating the field's leading edge and prospective trajectory. A well-defined research framework for articular cartilage regenerative repair has emerged within KOA therapy and offers substantial translational potential. Continued advances in the directed differentiation of stem cells, optimization of tissue-engineered scaffolds, and gene-editing-mediated modulation are expected to position this technology as a central component of precision KOA management.