Handgrip strength as a valuable multidimensional clinical parameter: a cross-sectional Scopus-based analysis.

Area of Science:

• Bibliometrics
• Musculoskeletal Health
• Gerontology

Background:

• Handgrip strength (HGS) is a key indicator of overall health and functional status.
• Understanding the research landscape of HGS is crucial for advancing clinical applications.
• Bibliometric analysis provides insights into research trends, productivity, and global collaboration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of handgrip strength (HGS) research.
• To identify publication trends, leading countries, institutions, journals, and authors in HGS research.
• To examine the thematic focus of highly cited HGS publications.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search of the Scopus database was performed on April 26, 2026.
• Data from 1944 to 2026 were analyzed, including publication trends, country, institution, journal, author, and keyword distributions.
• Linear regression was used to assess publication trends over time.

Main Results:

• A total of 12,221 publications were analyzed, with a significant upward trend in HGS research peaking in 2025.
• The United States, Brazil, and China were the top contributing countries.
• Nutrients, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and PLOS One were the most prolific journals. Studies on sarcopenia diagnosis and treatment dominated highly cited works.

Conclusions:

• HGS research has experienced substantial growth over eight decades, indicating increasing global scientific interest.
• The field is characterized by broad international collaboration, with 128 countries contributing.
• The strong association with sarcopenia research underscores HGS's importance as a clinical marker for musculoskeletal health.