Evolution of Clinical Evidence in Genicular Artery Embolization: A Bibliometric Analysis

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) has emerged as a minimally invasive treatment for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, but the evolution of its clinical evidence base remains incompletely characterized. This study evaluated the development of GAE research, emphasizing the composition and distribution of clinical evidence, collaboration patterns, embolic strategies, and conceptual themes. Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection were searched for peer-reviewed human studies of GAE published through 17 December 2025. Publication characteristics, study design, geographic origin, collaboration networks, embolic strategy, funding, and keyword trends were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix in R. Among 128 included publications, 116 (90.6%) were published after 2020, and 48.4% (62/128) were original clinical investigations. Prospective cohorts and RCTs reporting clinical outcomes accounted for 24.2% (31/128) of publications, including only four RCTs (3.1%). Prospective cohort studies involved authors from 18 countries and RCTs from four countries. Permanent microspheres were the predominant embolic strategy in 24 of 62 (38.7%) original clinical studies, with differences in study-design composition across embolic strategies. GAE research has expanded rapidly across research groups and settings, although prospective and randomized evidence remains a minority of the literature. Continued prospective, randomized, and comparative investigation may further strengthen the clinical evidence base.