Global Research Hotspots and Trends in Advances of the Ilizarov Technique: A Bibliometric Mapping

An updated bibliometric analysis is needed to address the lack of comprehensive understanding of Ilizarov technique's research trends and hotspots, fostering collaboration and technology adoption. CiteSpace was utilized to perform co-citation analyzes on authors, countries, institutions, journals and cited journals, authors and cited literature, along with keywords. This approach aimed to identify leaders, collaborating institutions, and research hotspots associated with the Ilizarov technique, while also predicting future development trends.

Data relevant to Ilizarov technologies from 1994 to 2023 were extracted from Science Net's core collection. Excel was utilized to develop an exponential function for forecasting annual publication numbers. CiteSpace V5.5 was used to conduct co-citation analyzes, which included authors, countries (regions), institutions, journals, citation journals, authors, citations, and keywords. Burst detection algorithms were applied to analyze countries (regions), institutions, and keywords, with keyword clustering achieved using the logarithmic likelihood ratio.

A total of 2030 studies were collected, with annual publications on the Ilizarov technique fitting an exponential model Y = 3E-37e^0.0439x (R ² = 0.7979). Morasiewicz Piotr from the University of Opole in Poland emerged as the most prolific author. The leading countries included the USA and China, and notable institutions included the Egyptian Knowledge Bank and the Ilizarov National Scientific Center for Restorative Traumatology and Orthopaedic. Research outputs appeared primarily in orthopedics and surgery, with a focus on keywords such as management, the Ilizarov technique, external fixation, distraction osteogenesis, reconstruction, and the Ilizarov method.

Based on current global trends, the number of publications in the Ilizarov field will continue to increase. Future studies will likely place more emphasis on advancing application concepts and device development.