A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis and Visualization of Publication Trends in Hip-Spine Syndrome

Hip-spine syndrome (HSS) was first described in 1983 as a syndrome characterizing the concurrent symptoms of lumbar and hip joint degenerative disease. This study aims to elucidate the research trends, hot topics, and influential publications in HSS through bibliometric analysis.

The Web of Science database was used to search for all literature on HSS from 1983 to 2024. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Scimago Graphica software were employed to analyze the data and generate visual knowledge maps. Analyses included annual publication trends, keywords, authors, citation bursts, co-citation situations, and research clustering hotspots.

Of the 236 publications meeting the inclusion criteria, the volume on HSS has steadily increased over the past 40 years. The United States leads in publication volume, followed by Australia and Japan. Total hip arthroplasty, clinical significance, and disease classification have emerged as frontiers and hotspots. The journals with the highest publication volumes are the Journal of Arthroplasty, Spine, and European Spine Journal. Key articles have been identified as foundational works in the field. However, international, institutional, and authorial collaboration remains limited.

Over the past 4 decades, the volume of publications on HSS has steadily increased. The United States leads both in the quality and quantity of published articles. The most influential works have enhanced our understanding of the pathogenesis and surgical decision-making in HSS. This study provides a comprehensive review of the trends and influential research in HSS.