Research Status and Trends in Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells: A Bibliometric Analysis over the Past Two Decades

Currently, the summaries of research on periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are mainly reviews, and the systematic evaluation of all relevant studies is lacking. The aim of our study was to reveal the research status and developmental trends of PDLSCs using bibliometric analyses.

Publications on PDLSC from 2004 to 2023 in the PubMed database were searched and then screened according to certain inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two researchers browsed the included papers and recorded information such as the research type and research model. The VOSviewer software was used to analyze the distribution of authors, journals, and institutions. The contents and directions of PDLSC research were summarized by analyzing high-frequency keywords. The CiteSpace software was used to monitor burst words, determine hot factors, and indicate developmental trends.

During the past two decades, the number of studies on PDLSCs increased. China published the most related papers. The primary type of article was basic research. Among core journals, the Journal of Periodontal Research had the highest number of publications. The Fourth Military Medical University (China) was leading in the number of articles on PDLSCs. Research topics mainly included mechanism of periodontal diseases, tissue engineering and regeneration, biological characteristics of PDLSCs, and comparison with other stem cells. Infectious inflammation and mechanical stimulation were important pathological conditions and research topics.

The research of PDLSCs is still in a rapid development stage. Our study provides new insights into the current research status and future trend in this field.