SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neural Technology
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1636904
Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis of Hydrogel Research in Spinal Cord Injury: Comparative Study of Chinese and English Literature
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Neurosurg, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
- 2Graduate School, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
- 3Department of Orthopedics, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
- 4Department of Medical Biochemistry, Xinjiang Second Medical College, Karamay, China
- 5Department of Systematic Anatomy, Xinjiang Second Medical College, Karamay, China
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Background: Over the past decade, the fields of hydrogel and spinal cord injury (SCI) research have witnessed rapid development. To explore disparities between China and global trends in hydrogel research, this study systematically conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses of related publications, summarizing current research foci and future directions. This provides critical guidance for researchers to delve deeper into hydrogel applications.Methods: A total of 866 records in the hydrogel and SCI domains were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) between 2014 and 2024. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, SCImago, and the R package "bibliometrix" were utilized to analyze regional distributions, institutional collaborations, journal impacts, author productivity, and keyword trends.Results: Annual publications in hydrogel and SCI research exhibited consistent growth. China (n=382) and the United States (n=158) collectively contributed 76.2% of global academic output, reflecting disproportionate productivity. Zhejiang University and Jinan University demonstrated significant contributions across international and Chinese academic platforms. XIAO Jian distinguished himself through exceptional metrics (h-index, total citations), establishing his prominence as a high-impact scholar. BIOMATERIALS emerged as the most prolific and influential journal based on total link strength. Keyword and co-citation analyses revealed heightened emphasis on 3D bioprinting and electroactive bio-scaffolds in both WoSCC and CNKI databases. Systemic research disparities reveals that CNKI prioritize hydrogel technologies with a distinctive focus on indigenous specializations (e.g., Chuanxiongzine and stem cell transplantation), while WoSCC demonstrates notable advantages in establishing therapeutic loops encompassing drug delivery systems, functional recovery evaluation, and neuroimmune modulation strategies.By integrating WoSCC and CNKI data, this study comprehensively elucidates geographical disparities in research priorities between China and the global scientific community regarding hydrogel-mediated SCI repair, thereby proposing an evidence-based framework for international collaborative innovation. These insights offer valuable references to guide future hydrogel research.
Keywords: Cord injury, Hydrogel, comparative study, visual analysis, Bibliometric, Citespace
Received: 28 May 2025; Accepted: 23 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bai, Huang, Liu, Halike, Li, Zhang, Chang and Wang. 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: Jichao Wang, Department of Neurosurg, People’s Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, 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.