Comprehensive Landscape and Future Perspectives of Surgical Therapy for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: A Bibliometric Analysis From 1980 to 2024

BACKGROUND: Surgical therapy plays a crucial role in the management of osteochondral lesions of the talus to restore joint function and prevent additional deterioration. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to investigate the research trends and patterns in surgical therapy for osteochondral lesions of the talus. METHODS: A thorough literature search was conducted on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Bibliometric and visualized analysis was done using VOSviewers (V 1.6.20), CiteSpace (V 6.3.R1), and the R package "bibliometrix" (V 4.3.3). RESULTS: A total of 413 articles were analyzed. These articles were authored by 2,053 individuals from 1,107 institutions across 180 countries or regions, published in 115 journals, and cited 6,581 references. The annual publication volume showed a fluctuating upward trend with an annual growth rate of 8.12%, peaking in 2021. The United States was the most productive country (n = 127). Among institutions, the University of Amsterdam contributed the most articles. Foot & Ankle International had the highest H-index, total publications, and citations. The top high impact authors included Kennedy JG and Giannini S. The keyword analysis revealed four distinct research clusters spanning from early surgical techniques (2010 to 2014) to advanced regenerative medicine (2018 to 2024), with current emphasis on "bone marrow stimulation," "cartilage repair," and "platelet rich plasma." The citation burst analysis identified "platelet rich plasma" and "arthroscopic findings" as latest emerging topics. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis demonstrates the evolution from foundational surgical techniques to sophisticated regenerative medicine approaches in OLT treatment. Research frontiers emphasize biological augmentation strategies and precision medicine for personalized therapeutic interventions.