Global Landscape and Translational Trajectories of Pelvic Floor Muscle Rehabilitation for Urinary Incontinence

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a highly prevalent condition worldwide, with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and overactive bladder (OAB) representing major clinical subtypes. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) has been studied extensively as a conservative intervention for UI, yet the global research landscape of PFMT-related UI studies, particularly in terms of collaboration patterns and evolving research themes, has not been mapped in a targeted manner. This study was aimed at providing a bibliometric overview of publication trends, knowledge structure, and emerging hotspots in UI/PFMT research. METHODS: Literature published between 2000 and 2025 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. Scientometric analyses were conducted to examine co-authorship networks (countries, institutions, and authors), co-citation structures, and keyword co-occurrence patterns. RESULTS: China, the USA, the UK, and Brazil were among the major contributors to UI/PFMT research, with China showing rapid growth in publication output in recent years. Thematic mapping suggested increasing research attention to implementation- and technology-assisted rehabilitation topics, including biofeedback, electrical stimulation, and digital or artificial-intelligence-supported training approaches. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric analysis offers an updated descriptive map of the UI/PFMT research field over the past 25 years, highlighting major contributors, collaboration structures, and shifting thematic emphases. The findings may support future research planning by identifying active areas of investigation and emerging directions within the PFMT-related UI literature.