Research progress and trend of aerobic exercise intervention in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A knowledge...

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent chronic condition among middle aged and elderly individuals, characterized by joint pain, cartilage degeneration, and limited mobility, severely impacting quality of life. Aerobic exercise has been widely recognized as an effective non-pharmacological intervention to improve joint function and alleviate symptoms.

This bibliometric analysis explored global research trends related to aerobic exercise interventions for KOA from 2014 to 2024. A total of 273 articles were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection using predefined search strategies. Analytical tools including CiteSpace, SCImago Graphica, VOSviewer, and COOC14.9 were applied to examine publication outputs, keyword co-occurrence, and international collaboration networks.

The United States, China, and Australia emerged as the leading contributors to research in this area, forming an active global collaborative network. High frequency research themes included "knee osteoarthritis," "pain management," and "quality of life," while emerging hotspots were "Tai Chi," "randomized controlled trial," and "personalized intervention." Over the past decade, research focus has shifted towards diversification of exercise modalities, individualized approaches, and long-term management strategies.

This study provides a comprehensive overview of global research developments in aerobic exercise interventions for KOA. The findings reveal evolving research trends and suggest future directions for academic exploration, offering valuable insights for researchers and healthcare professionals engaged in exercise-based KOA management.