The Evolution and Frontiers of Piezoelectric Materials for Bone and Cartilage Regeneration Research

Abstract

Bone and cartilage injuries are highly prevalent and arise from diverse pathogenic mechanisms, placing a substantial burden on patients’ health, quality of life, and on families and society. Piezoelectric materials, inspired by tissue engineering concepts and the intrinsic piezoelectricity of human tissues, can harness the physiological electrical microenvironment to enhance tissue regeneration. To better understand the development of this field, we employed data from the Web of Science Core Citation (WoSCC) database as the core and primary focus for conducting bibliometric research and applied tools including Bibliometrix, Origin, Python, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer. A total of 388 publications from 46 countries were identified, with China, the United States, and Iran being the leading contributors. Fangwei Qi had the highest publication output, while C. Ribeiro had the highest cocitation frequency. The most productive institutions were Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Fourth Military Medical University, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces published the largest number of articles. The most frequent keywords included “bone regeneration,” “osteogenic differentiation,” “piezoelectric,” “scaffolds,” and “hydroxyapatite.” Furthermore, we employed Scopus as a validation database to cross-verify the publication trends and keyword hotspots derived from WoSCC, with the results demonstrating a high degree of consistency. These findings reveal that research on the role of piezoelectric materials in bone and cartilage regeneration is expanding rapidly, highlighting the current hotspots and emerging trends and providing valuable insights to guide future studies in this area.

Impact Statement

We performed a comprehensive cross-validation of our bibliometric trends using the Scopus database, in addition to our in-depth analysis of the Web of Science Core Citation database. We are confident that this addition has substantially strengthened the robustness and analytical depth of our study, particularly in annual growth patterns and keyword consensus. This study mapped research frontiers and developmental trends in piezoelectric materials for bone and cartilage regeneration and offered meaningful guidance and references for future investigations.