A bibliometric analysis of intra-articular injection therapy for knee osteoarthritis from 2012 to 2022

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the most common joint disease worldwide and, with the progression of an aging population, is one of the most important causes of disability worldwide. Its main symptoms include articular cartilage damage, periarticular pain, swelling, and stiffness. Intra-articular (IA) injections offer many advantages over systemic administration and surgical treatment, including direct action on the target joint to improve local bioavailability, reduce systemic toxicity, and lower costs. This study analyzed KOA intra-articular injection treatment and its hot literature and research horizons using bibliometric methodologies and graphical tools to aid future research. We performed a bibliometric analysis of 2360 publications in the Web of Science core collection using CiteSpace software. The United States (28.26% of publications) and China (18%) had the biggest publications. Rush University was the most active institution, but Boston University had the greatest citation/publication rate (65.77), suggesting a high literature standard. The majority of publications were in Osteoarthritis and cartilage. Bannuru RR was the most referenced author, while Filardo, Giuseppe was the most productive author. Studies in platelet-rich plasma (PRP), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and microsphere formulation are likely to be future research hotspots. The current scientometric study provides an overview of KOA intra-articular injection therapy studies from 2012 to 2022. This study outlines the current research hotspots and potential future research hotspots in the field of intra-articular injection treatment for KOA and may serve as a resource for researchers interested in this topic.