Myopia management functional lenses (MMFL): a bibliometric analysis of multidisciplinary perspective and trend insights in the context of vision health

PURPOSE: To analyze the research dynamics of myopia management functional lenses (MMFL) in the field of vision health over the past decade, revealing cutting-edge hotspots and development trends. METHODS: Relevant literature on MMFL from 2016 to 2025 in the Web of Science (WOS) core database was searched by computer. The bibliometrics software Bibliometrix, VOSviewer 1.6.20 and CiteSpace.V.6.3.R1 were used for bibliometric and knowledge graph visualisation analyses. RESULTS: A total of 1143 WOS core database documents were included, and the number of publications has gradually increased over time. China and the United States rank the top two in terms of the number of publications and citations. The leading authors in this field are Cho P, Sankaridurg P, and Chen H, who have made significant contributions to research in two distinct subfields: contact lenses and spectacle lenses. Most relevant sources are OPHTHALMIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL OPTICS, CONTACT LENS & ANTERIOR EYE, and OPTOMETRY AND VISION SCIENCE, all of which are considered to be highly authoritative publications in this field. These journals have published a considerable number of articles on a wide range of topics, including the mechanism of spectacle lenses, physiological changes associated with contact lenses, variations in fitting parameters, and the effects of myopia control. The keywords co-occurrence, clustering, thematic map, timeline view and emergent analyses reveal that recent research has been focused on the following areas: axial length, defocusing mechanism, choroidal thickness, and orthokeratology. CONCLUSION: The knowledge map of research on MMFL is constructed through bibliometric analysis, systematically summarizing the current status and hotspots of research. The integration of material, optics and intelligence is a trend that is set to be reflected in future functional lenses for myopia management.