Global trends and current status of amputation: Bibliometrics and visual analysis of publications from 1999 to 2021

To generalize the research status, hotspots, and development trends of amputation-related research.

The data from 1999 to 2021 were collected from the Web of Science core collection database, and analyzed through bibliometrics software (CiteSpace and VOSviewer) for the dual-map overlay of journals, top 25 references with the strongest citation bursts, top 25 keywords with the strongest citation bursts, and timeline of keywords.

A total of 8,588 literature studies were involved in this study. The United States ranks the first in terms of H-index, total number of publications, and total citations. US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, and University of Washington are the major contributors to amputation. Prosthetics and Orthotics International , Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , and Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development are the main publication channels for articles related to amputation. Geertzen JHB, Czerniecki J, and Dijkstra PU are major contributors to amputation. In addition, research on limb salvage treatment and surgical methods for amputation will become a hotspot in the future.

The total number of publications for amputation has generally increased from 1999 to 2021. Our study is beneficial for scientists to specify the research hotspot and development direction of amputation.