Visualization analysis on research literature about animal models for osteonecrosis of the femoral head

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a refractory disorder characterized by osteocyte apoptosis and structural collapse of the femoral head. Its pathogenesis is closely associated with vascular injury, dysregulated bone metabolism, and aberrant mechanical stress. In recent years, animal models have served as indispensable tools for simulating pathological processes, playing an irreplaceable role in elucidating molecular mechanisms of osteonecrosis of the femoral head and evaluating novel interventions. Nevertheless, the standardization of model development and their clinical translational value require systematic investigation. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the research landscape in the field of osteonecrosis of the femoral head using bibliometric approaches, with an emphasis on evaluating the application characteristics, limitations, and future optimization directions of animal models in study design, providing a reference for advancing mechanistic understanding and therapeutic development. METHODS: Literature published between January 2015 and March 2025 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (SCI-Expanded), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang databases. The search strategy for English literature was TS=(osteonecrosis of the femoral head) AND TS=(mouse OR mice OR rat OR rabbit OR dog OR swine OR pig OR sheep OR monkey OR "laboratory animal" OR "experiment animal"). For Chinese literature, the search was SU=股骨头坏死 AND SU=鼠+兔+犬+猪+羊+猴+实验动物+动物实验. CiteSpace 6.3.R1 software was used to perform visualization analysis of countries, institutions, authors, keywords, and co-cited references. Trends were summarized based on animal model classification and application characteristics. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) In English literature, China contributed over 80% of the research (458 articles). Hot topics focused on steroid-induced necrosis mechanisms (e.g., oxidative stress-autophagy axis), stem cell/tissue engineering therapies, and traditional Chinese medicine interventions. The research on animal models of osteonecrosis of the femoral head exhibited a "high output-low collaboration" characteristic. (2) In Chinese literature, the publishing institutions were mainly traditional Chinese medicine-related institutions, and traditional Chinese medicine and steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head were important research hotspots. (3) Future efforts should deepen cross-species validation platforms, multi-omics integration, and collaborative strategies for the development of Chinese and Western medicine to accelerate clinical translation.

1. Introduction

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is an orthopedic disease caused by disruption or significant impairment of the blood supply to the femoral head, leading to structural collapse and progressive loss of hip joint function. Clinically, it manifests as pain in the buttock or anterior thigh, and in advanced stages, may result in shortening of the affected limb and dysfunction of the hip joint. Although pharmacological treatments can be used for hip preservation, their efficacy is often unsatisfactory, and artificial joint replacement is still required in advanced stages [1]. Therefore, exploring a reliable and effective new approach is particularly important.

Due to ethical constraints in clinical practice, human trials are subject to many limitations. Consequently, researchers have utilized animal models of different species to investigate the pathogenesis of osteonecrosis of the femoral head and the effectiveness of interventions. Through animal experiments, scholars can understand the pathological features and imaging manifestations at different stages of osteonecrosis, verify the efficacy of drugs or surgical interventions, and avoid ethical restrictions and individual variability in clinical studies [2]. Furthermore, optimization of animal models may reveal the role of genetic factors in disease susceptibility [3], facilitating the development of multidimensional therapeutic strategies for osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Bibliometrics, as a key analytical tool in medical research, systematically dissects the knowledge structure, collaboration networks, and trend evolution within a specific topic based on comprehensive retrieval and in-depth analysis of literature. It has been widely applied in multidisciplinary frontier exploration [4-5]. Although some scholars have conducted bibliometric analyses on the clinical treatment and pathogenesis of osteonecrosis of the femoral head, there remains a lack of bibliometric research specifically focusing on animal models of this disease. Therefore, this study employs CiteSpace 6.3.R1 software to mine relevant studies on animal models of osteonecrosis of the femoral head from the Web of Science Core Collection, CNKI, and Wanfang databases, focusing on dimensions such as the distribution of research teams, journal publication trends, and high-frequency keyword clustering, to analyze the relationships among literature and the evolution of knowledge structure.