Current Trends in Research on Bone Regeneration: A Bibliometric Analysis

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Bone regeneration is a critical area in clinical research, yet macroscopic studies on its clinical application are infrequent.
• This study addresses the need for a comprehensive overview of bone regeneration research trends and mechanisms.
• Bibliometric analysis was employed to explore the landscape of bone regeneration studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and analyze the research hotspots and future prospects in bone regeneration.
• To explore the clinical applications and underlying mechanisms of bone regeneration.
• To provide a data-driven overview of the scientific literature on bone regeneration.

Main Methods:

• A bibliometric analysis of 10,237 scientific articles on bone regeneration published between 2009 and 2019 from PubMed and Web of Science.
• Utilized VOSviewer for co-occurrence keyword and authorship analysis.
• Employed BICOMB, gCLUTO, Ucinet 6, and SCIMAT software for high-frequency word retrieval, biclustering, social network analysis, and strategic diagramming.

Main Results:

• Identified 89 high-frequency MeSH terms clustered into 5 categories, revealing 7 key research areas.
• Current research hotspots include scaffolds, drug effects, osseointegration in dental implants, guided bone regeneration, factors impacting bone regeneration, and treatment of bone and tissue loss.
• Network visualization, overlay mountain maps, and social network diagrams illustrated the research landscape.

Conclusions:

• Bibliometric analysis confirmed dental implants, scaffolds, and factors impacting bone regeneration as prominent research areas.
• Scaffolds show significant promise for advancing bone tissue regeneration.
• The findings highlight key areas for future research and clinical development in bone regeneration.