Bibliometric Study of Exercise and Tendinopathy Research from 2001 to 2020

BACKGROUND Tendinopathy is a tendon disease that often occurs in athletes. Many studies have revealed that exercise therapy is beneficial for the nonoperative management of tendinopathy. However, the general aspect bibliometric analysis of this global research topic associated with exercise and tendinopathy is lacking. The present study aimed to make a bibliometric analysis of worldwide development tendency and research hotspots in exercise and tendinopathy research from 2001 to 2020. MATERIAL AND METHODS Using the Web of Science, articles and reviews published between 2001 and 2020 were retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded database. CiteSpace was used to analyze the relationship among publications, countries, institutions, journals, authors, references, and keywords. RESULTS In total, 857 articles were found in this study. Over the past 20 years, there was a marked increase in the number of publications. A total of 194 different scholarly journals were dedicated to the categories Sport Sciences, Orthopedics, and Rehabilitation. The USA and La Trobe University were the most prolific country and institution, respectively. The British Journal of Sports Medicine was the prominent journal for research on exercise and tendinopathy and had the most publications. The analysis of keywords showed that rehabilitation, rotator cuff tendinopathy, stiffness, and disability of individuals with tendinopathy had become the research focus in this field. CONCLUSIONS Bibliometric analysis provides a historical and scientific perspective on exercise and tendinopathy research, providing relevant researchers, funding agencies, and policymakers with valuable information to explore the current research status, hotspots, and new directions for future research.