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REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Integrative and Regenerative Pharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1532629
This article is part of the Research Topic Integrative Pharmacological Approaches for Regenerating Cartilage and Bone Tissue View all 9 articles

Bioprinted Hydrogels in Bone Regeneration: A Bibliometric Analysis

Provisionally accepted
Huijie Zhang Huijie Zhang 1*Xiaoyu Li Xiaoyu Li 1*Zhenyu Jia Zhenyu Jia 2*Kun Jiao Kun Jiao 1,3*晨 刘 晨 刘 1,4Zixiang Deng Zixiang Deng 1*Yushu Bai Yushu Bai 1*Xianzhao Wei Xianzhao Wei 1*Xiaoyi Zhou Xiaoyi Zhou 1*
  • 1 Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
  • 2 Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Southern Theater Command, Guangzhou, P. R. China, Guangzhou, China
  • 3 Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, China, Shanghai, China
  • 4 Department of outpatient service, Military District Shenyang No. 1 Retreat Center for Separated Cadres, Liaoning Province, China, Liaoning Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The application of bioprinted hydrogels in the field of bone regeneration is garnering increasing attention. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current research status, hotspots and research directions in this field through bibliometric methods, and to predict the development trend of this field. Methods: A search was conducted on December 27, 2024, for papers published on the Web of Science from 2010 to 2025.We used the bibliometrix package in the software program R to analyze the retrieved data and VOSviewer and CiteSpace to visualize hotspots and research trends in bioprinted hydrogels for bone regeneration. Results: We identified and reviewed 684 articles published in this field between 2010 and 2025. A total of 811 institutions and 1,166 researchers from 41 countries/regions contributed to these publications. Among them, China led in terms of the number of articles published, single-country publications (SCP), and multi-country publications (MCP). Our bibliometric-based visualization analysis revealed that the mechanical properties and osteogenic differentiation capacity of biomaterials have been a focal research topic over the past decade, while emerging research has also concentrated on the in vitro fabrication of stem cells for bone regeneration and osteogenic differentiation, particularly the precise application of in situ stem cell-loaded bioprinted organoids. Conclusion: This study provides an in-depth analysis of the research trajectory in the application of bioprinted hydrogels for bone regeneration. The number of research papers in this field is increasing annually, and the main research hotspots include bone regeneration, 3D printing, scaffolds, and hydrogels. Future research directions may focus on gelatin, additive manufacturing, and growth factors. Additionally, international collaboration is essential to enhance the effectiveness of bioprinted hydrogels in bone regeneration applications.

    Keywords: Bibliometric, Bone Regeneration, Tissue Engineering, Hydrogel, Bioprinting

    Received: 22 Nov 2024; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Li, Jia, Jiao, 刘, Deng, Bai, Wei and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Huijie Zhang, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
    Xiaoyu Li, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
    Zhenyu Jia, Department of Orthopedics, General Hospital of Southern Theater Command, Guangzhou, P. R. China, Guangzhou, China
    Kun Jiao, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
    Zixiang Deng, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
    Yushu Bai, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
    Xianzhao Wei, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
    Xiaoyi Zhou, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.