Bibliometric analysis of research hotspots and trends in fascia from 2013 to 2025.

PURPOSE: With the continuous advancement in fascia research, an increasing number of diseases have been identified as closely associated with fascial pathologies. The value of fascia in disease diagnosis and treatment has garnered growing attention, offering new perspectives and entry points for related studies. However, systematic analysis remains lacking. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the evolution and development trends of fascia research, thereby providing data support and theoretical reference.

METHODS

Literature from 2013 to 2025 was retrieved from the Web of Science database. After screening, 3101 articles were included. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix were used to analyze the countries, journals, keywords, and other aspects, constructing knowledge maps.

RESULTS

The annual publication volume showed a wave-like increase, with sustained growth in research intensity. Regarding international collaboration, the United States was the primary contributing country, though cross-institutional cooperation requires further enhancement. Analysis of keywords revealed terms like "management", "ultrasound" and "nerve block" among the most frequent, highlighting the driving role of technology in advancing fascia research and facilitating the translation of findings into clinical practice. Concurrently, the emergence of keywords like "hyaluronic acid", "extracellular matrix", coupled with citation bursts, indicates basic research on fascia is deepening, with increasing emphasis on regulating extracellular matrix-related microenvironment of fascia.

CONCLUSION

Driven by technology and basic research, the clinical application potential of fascia is increasingly evident. Future efforts should further explore the regulatory mechanisms of extracellular matrix-related fascia microenvironment and optimize clinical therapeutic approaches to promote the translation and expansion of related research.