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Updated: Sep 26, 2025

Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness
Published on: March 18, 2022
Ten Hotspot MicroRNAs and Their Potential Targets of Chondrocytes Were Revealed in Osteoarthritis Based on
Wei-Shang Hu1, Qi Zhang1,2, Si-Hui Li1
1Acupuncture and Moxibustion College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Background:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common joint disorders and debilitating diseases. Current evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in the pathogenesis of OA and have great potential as new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We aimed to analyze the trends and research status on miRNAs in OA and further demonstrate the hotspot miRNAs in OA via CiteSpace and VOSviewer.
Methods:
Publications regarding miRNAs and OA were extracted from the Web of Science (WOS) database on October 30, 2021. We assessed the number of publications, institutions, countries, authors, journals, cited references, and keywords with the help of the software tools CiteSpace and VOSviewer.
Results:
A total of 1109 articles were included. Research related to miRNAs and OA began to appear in 2008, and the overall trend is increasing. Chinese institutions have a leading advantage in the number of publications but lack high-quality and high-cited research and are laggard in co-cited literature. Ten miRNAs including miR-140, miR-146, miR-34, miR-181, miR-27, miR-9, miR-29, miR-21, miR-26, and miR-155 and chondrocytes were revealed as the most obvious miRNAs and a potential target for OA based on bibliometric analysis. More focus will be placed on a comprehensive study on chondrocytes regulated by miRNAs, which may accelerate possible diagnostic biomarkers and diagnostic biomarkers of OA in the future.
Insights
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial in osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis. Bibliometric analysis identified key miRNAs like miR-140 and miR-146, highlighting their potential as diagnostic biomarkers for OA.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Research
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint disorder with significant debilitating effects.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly recognized for their critical role in OA pathogenesis.
- miRNAs show promise as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for osteoarthritis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze research trends and the current status of microRNA (miRNA) studies in osteoarthritis (OA).
- To identify hotspot miRNAs associated with OA using bibliometric analysis.
- To evaluate the global research landscape concerning miRNAs and OA.
Main Methods:
- Bibliometric analysis of publications on miRNAs and OA from the Web of Science database (up to October 30, 2021).
- Utilized CiteSpace and VOSviewer software for data analysis.
- Assessed publication volume, institutional contributions, country-specific research, author impact, and keyword frequency.
Main Results:
- A total of 1109 articles were analyzed, with research commencing in 2008 and showing an upward trend.
- Chinese institutions lead in publication quantity but require advancement in high-impact research.
- Ten key miRNAs (e.g., miR-140, miR-146, miR-34) and chondrocytes were identified as significant in OA pathogenesis.
Conclusions:
- Bibliometric analysis reveals significant progress in miRNA research for osteoarthritis.
- Specific miRNAs, including miR-140 and miR-146, are prominent in OA research.
- Future research focusing on miRNA-regulated chondrocytes could accelerate the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for OA.
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