Global research trends of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in orthopedic sports injuries: A bibliometric analysis from 2000 to 2024
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: A bibliometric and knowledge-map analysis is used to explore platelet-rich plasma (PRP) applications in orthopedic sports injuries. It aimed to summarize global research trends related to clinical trials and provide new insights for researchers in this field. METHODS: The articles and reviews regarding PRP applications in sports injuries were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (2000-2024). CiteSpace, VOSviewer, HistCite Pro, R-Studio, and other analytical tools were used to conduct the bibliometric analysis and visualization of trends, collaborations, and emerging topics. RESULTS: Ten thousand eight hundred thirty-five authors from 3231 institutions published 2601 papers in 802 academic journals in 105 scientific categories. The United States was absolutely in the leading position in this research field. The institution that contributed the most publications was the Harvard University. Nicola Maffulli published the most articles and had the most co-citations. Extensive nodes and links indicate close scientific collaboration among countries, institutions, and authors. The most influential research focused on the fundamental aspects of PRP, particularly its application in regenerative medicine as a nonsurgical intervention for sports injury repair. Diverse sports injury models have been employed to investigate the efficacy of PRP. The latest hotspots and topics included the study of the differentiated efficacy of PRP in sports injuries at different anatomical sites and underlying mechanisms. Temporal keyword clustering indicated an evolution in research focus, transitioning from fundamental studies on muscle and ligament healing to advancements in regenerative therapies. Citation burst analysis identified influential publications and emerging research hotspots. CONCLUSION: This study outlines the knowledge-map of PRP research in sports injury management, which may guide clinicians in selecting evidence-based PRP protocols for specific injury types (e.g., tendon vs cartilage). Future studies on PRP clinical trials should focus on large-scale, long-term randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of current treatment strategies.
Source: Medicine
Authors: Heng Yao, Jiaxin Cai, Xidan Lin, Lisha Cai, Wenqiang Zhou
Language: English
Subfield: Urology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,950
OpenAlex ID: W4413818398