Novel Tissue Engineering Scaffolds in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury-A Bibliometric Study

Abstract

Objective: Because of the evolving nature of tissue engineering scaffolds in the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI), the current study was carried out to evaluate the research productivity of tissue engineering scaffolds in the treatment of SCI.

Methods: Studies published from 2000 to 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science core collection with topics of spinal cord injury and tissue engineering scaffolds. The data were analyzed and visualized using the VOSviewer network analysis software.

Results: Among 1542 articles analyzed, annual publications surged from 2000 to 2019, stabilizing thereafter. The U.S., China, and Canada led in productivity, with Northwestern University and the Biomaterials journal being top contributors. Keyword analysis revealed research hotspots such as functional recovery, axonal regeneration, stem cells, and hydrogels. Notably, hydrogels embedded with genetically engineered cells emerged as a pivotal trend, reflecting a shift toward biomimetic and combinatorial therapies. Collaboration networks highlighted intensified partnerships between Chinese and North American institutions, signaling global interdisciplinary efforts.

Conclusions: This study provides the first bibliometric roadmap for tissue engineering scaffolds in SCI, identifying key trends, influential entities, and underexplored areas. The rise in hydrogels and international collaborations underscores opportunities for targeted research. These findings guide researchers in prioritizing high-impact journals, fostering partnerships, and advancing novel scaffold designs to bridge translational gaps in SCI treatment.

Keywords: axonal regeneration; bibliographic study; cell transplantation; hydrogels; spinal cord injury; tissue engineering.

Figure 1

(A) Main countries contributing to the field; color reflects the number of publications per country, with green reflecting the country with the most publications and shallow green, yellow, orange, and red for countries with less papers. (B) Analysis of international collaboration. The size of each country’s segment in the circular diagram corresponds to its number of publications, while the thickness of the connecting lines indicates the strength of collaborative ties between countries. (C) Annual publication trends: steady growth from 2000 to 2019, plateauing post-2020 due to maturation of scaffold technologies. 文章总数 = total numbers of papers. (D) Visualization of citation networks among countries. Each country is depicted as a node, with the size of the node reflecting the volume of citations it has received (USA leads with 20,956 citations). Gradient colors (blue to yellow) show citation density over time.

Figure 2

Main institutions contributing to research on tissue engineering-based treatment strategies for spinal cord injury. Each node represents an institution, with its size corresponding to the number of citations received. The node’s color denotes distinct research topics (red is biomaterials; blue is stem cells; and green is clinical translation), while the connecting lines between nodes signify co-citation relationships.

Figure 3

The most popular key words in studies on tissue engineering-based treatment strategies for spinal cord injury. (A) Visualization of the keyword co-occurrence network. Each node represents a keyword, with its size reflecting its frequency of occurrence. The node’s color corresponds to different research topics (red represents regeneration-focused terms such as axonal regeneration, functional recovery; blue represents stem cell and transplantation themes; and green represents biomaterial innovations such as hydrogels and the extracellular matrix), while the connecting lines between nodes indicate co-occurrence relationships. (B) The bars shows how the focus of research has shifted over time: In the early 2000s, there was a dominance of in vitro studies and differentiation. Post-2010, there has been a rise in research on hydrogels and genetic engineering.

Figure 4

Citation overlay visualization for institutions. Each institution is depicted as a node, with the node size reflecting its citation count (Biomaterials: 4112 citations). The connecting lines between nodes are color-coded based on a gradient scale corresponding to the years (blue—pre-2010 period; yellow—post-2020 period).

Figure 5

Density visualization of the most productive authors in research on tissue engineering-based treatment strategies for spinal cord injury shows that the leading authors like Stephanie M. Willerth (865 citations) anchor collaborative networks, while emerging researchers (e.g., Fabian Westhauser) show rising productivity. Color intensity indicates the author’s influence (bright yellow—most cited; blue—niche contributors). Overlay: collaborative clusters (e.g., Yuan-shan Zeng’s team forms a dense hub in China).

Figure 6

Top-cited publications in research on tissue engineering-based treatment strategies for spinal cord injury show that foundational works (Lundborg, 2000) [15] anchor the field, while newer studies (Nikolova, 2019) [19] integrate nanotechnology and gene editing. Node size shows the citation count, and the color shows the focus of each publication. The connections show the citation lineage.