Abstract
BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a severe condition affecting the temporomandibular joint, impairing essential oral functions such as chewing, speaking, and swallowing. Recent studies have made significant outcomes in pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, and therapy in the field of TMJOA. However, knowledge of research trends and hotspots of TMJOA is still lacking in this field. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of TMJOA, providing a comprehensive overview of current research hotspots and trends. METHODS: A total of 584 TMJOA-related records published between 2004 and 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, the R package "bibliometrix", and the Bibliometric website were used to analyze countries, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords to identify research trends in TMJOA. RESULTS: Publications on TMJOA have shown a steady annual increase. Globally, China and the USA emerged as the leading contributors, accounting for over 60% of the publications. Sichuan University ranked first in total publications and citations, while the University of Northern Carolina led in average citations. The Journal of Oral Rehabilitation published the most studies, whereas the Journal of Dental Research had the highest impact factor (5.3) and H-index (158). Long X was the most prolific author, while Liu Y, Manfredini D, and Guarda-Narnini L were the top-cited authors with the highest H-indices. Keyword analysis revealed four primary research clusters: "pathogenesis mechanisms", "clinical manifestations", "regeneration research", and "therapy research". CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis highlights publication trends, research hotspots, citation patterns, and collaborative networks among countries, institutions, and authors in the TMJOA field. Future research is expected to focus on molecular signaling pathways and targeted therapies for TMJOA, with the ultimate goal of accelerating translational research to enhance clinical outcomes for patients.