Sciatic nerve injury repair: a visualized analysis of research fronts and development trends

Femoral to sciatic nerve transfer: A cadaver study

Background

Proximal sciatic nerve injuries are a challenge to treat due to the limited options for donor nerves and the long distance needed for regeneration.

Methods

In our cadaveric study using five human cadavers, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility of transferring the tibial and common peroneal components of the sciatic nerve to the femoral nerve motor branches of the vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis without the need for interposition nerve graft. The femoral nerve branches of the VM and lateralis were exposed anteriorly. The sciatic nerve was exposed posteriorly and passed through a narrow window within the adductor magnus and medial to the femur. The sciatic nerve was then separated into its tibial and peroneal components, which were then coapted to the VM and lateralis motor branches of the femoral nerve.

Results

Using the entire tibial and peroneal components of the sciatic nerve, we were able to gain more length and directly coapt the femoral nerve branches without utilizing interposition grafts. The disadvantage of this technique is suturing to a mixed nerve with motor and sensory components, which could compromise functional outcomes. Further studies are needed to determine how the procedure will impact a patient's gait cycle.

Conclusion

Clinical application is needed to determine preliminary outcomes before widespread utilization of this technique.

Analysis of nanomedicine applications for inflammatory bowel disease: structural and temporal dynamics, research hotspots, and emerging trends

Background

The application of nanomedicine in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has gained significant attention in the recent years. As the field rapidly evolves, analyzing research trends and identifying research hotpots are essential for guiding future advancements, and a comprehensive bibliometric can provide valuable insights.

Methods

The current research focused on publications from 2001 to 2024, and was sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). CiteSpace and VOSviewer were employed to visualize authors, institutions, countries, co-cited references, and keywords, thereby mapping the intellectual structure and identifying emerging trends in the field.

Results

The analysis covered 1,518 literature across 447 journals, authored by 9,334 researchers from 5,459 institutions and 287 countries/regions. The global publication numbers exhibited an upward trend, particularly in the last decade, with China leading as the top publishing country and the Chinese Academy of Sciences emerging as the foremost institution. Dr. Xiao Bo is the prominent figure in advanced drug delivery systems. This interdisciplinary field, which spans materials science, pharmacy, and medicine, has seen influential publications mainly concentrated on targeted nanoparticles treatment for IBD. Keyword analysis revealed that current research hotspots include drug delivery, immune cell regulation, antioxidant damage, intestinal microbiota homeostasis, and nanovesicles.

Conclusion

This study offers a comprehensive overview of global research landscape, emphasizing the rapid growth and increasing complexity of this field. It identifies key research hotspots and trends, including efforts to enhance the precision, efficacy, and safety of nanomedicine applications. Emerging directions are highlighted as crucial for further progress in this evolving area.

The trends and hotspots of immunotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer from 2013 to 2022: A bibliometric and visual analysis

An increasing body of research indicates that immunotherapy has demonstrated substantial effectiveness in the realm of metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC), especially among patients with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) (dMMR/MSI-H mCRC). This study constitutes the inaugural bibliometric and visual analysis of immunotherapy related to mCRC during the last decade. Between 2013 and the conclusion of 2022, we screened 306 articles from Web of Science and subjected them to analysis using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. The United States stood out as the primary contributor in this area, representing 33.33% of the publications, with China following closely at 24.51%. The most prolific institution has the lowest average citation rate. Sorbonne University were the most highly cited institutions. Notably, Frontiers In Oncology published the largest quantity of articles. Andre, Thierry, and Overman, Michael J. were prominent authors known for their prolific output and the high citation rates of their work. The focus areas in this field encompass "tumor microenvironment," "liver metastasis," "tumor-associated macrophages," "combination therapy" and "gut microbiota." Some keywords offer promise as potential biomarkers for evaluating the effectiveness of immunotherapeutic interventions.

A visualization analysis of immune-related adverse reactions in pulmonary carcinoma

Immunotherapy has emerged as a crucial advancement in pulmonary carcinoma treatment. Nevertheless, its unique side effects not only reduce patients' quality of life but also affect treatment efficacy, with severe cases potentially endangering the patient's life. This study uses bibliometric analysis to perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis literature on IRAEs in lung cancer from 1991 to 2023, retrieved from the Web of Science database. The dataset was analyzed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace to identify trends, key contributors, and emerging research areas. A total of 124 publications were analyzed, revealing a notable increase in research activity post-2015, with China and the USA contributing over 50% of the studies. This research highlights the importance of understanding IRAEs and suggests future investigations into the pulmonary microbiota and tumor microenvironment.

Research trends and hotspots in exercise interventions for liver cirrhosis: A bibliometric analysis via CiteSpace

Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease with severe consequences for a patient's health and survival. Exercise is an essential therapeutic strategy for both cirrhosis prevention and treatment. On the other hand, information regarding the present status of exercise-related research in cirrhosis is limited. Therefore, this study seeks to close the information gap in the scientific literature by using bibliometric techniques to analyze the trends, focal points, and cutting-edge research areas on exercise and cirrhosis. On September 22, 2023, research articles and reviews on exercise intervention for cirrhosis were obtained and downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Subsequently, we employed CiteSpace (version 6.1.R6) to conduct bibliometric and knowledge graph analyses. 588 papers in 301 scholarly journals were written by 673 authors from 460 institutions spread over 63 countries and regions. The most productive nation among them is the United States. Not only is Zobair M. Younossi 1 of the most prolific writers, but he also receives the most co-citations. Most articles were published by the University of Michigan in the US, with the University of Alberta in Canada coming in second. Meanwhile, the WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY has the most published articles, whereas HEPATOLOGY has the greatest number of co-citations. Apart from the theme words, the most frequently utilized keywords were "quality of life," "insulin resistance," and "mortality." Future research may concentrate on "obesity," "sarcopenia," and "Mediterranean diet," according to the analysis of keyword emergence. CiteSpace is used in this work to visually represent the topic of exercise intervention in cirrhosis, offering valuable information to researchers regarding the field's current status and possible future direction.

Global trends in research on aging associated with periodontitis from 2002 to 2023: a bibliometric analysis

Background

Aging has been implicated in many chronic inflammatory diseases, including periodontitis. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease caused by long-term irritation of the periodontal tissues by the plaque biofilm on the surface of the teeth. However, only a few bibliometric analyses have systematically studied this field to date. This work sought to visualize research hot spots and trends in aging associated with periodontitis from 2002 to 2023 through bibliometric approaches.

Methods

Graphpad prism v8.0.2 was used to analyse and plot annual papers, national publication trends and national publication heat maps. In addition, CtieSpace (6.1.6R (64-bit) Advanced Edition) and VOSviewer (version 1.6.18) were used to analyse these data and visualize the scientific knowledge graph.

Results

The number of documents related to aging associated with periodontitis has steadily increased over 21 years. With six of the top ten institutions in terms of publications coming from the US, the US is a major driver of research in this area. journal of periodontology is the most published journal in the field. Tonetti MS is the most prolific authors and co-cited authors in the field. Journal of Periodontology and Journal of Clinical Periodontology are the most popular journals in the field with the largest literature. Periodontitis, Alzheimer's disease, and peri-implantitis are current hot topics and trends in the field. Inflammation, biomarkers, oxidative stress cytokines are current research hotspots in this field.

Conclusion

Our research found that global publications regarding research on aging associated with periodontitis increased dramatically and were expected to continue increasing. Inflammation and aging, and the relationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases, are topics worthy of attention.

Treatment-prognostication-adjustment a new therapeutic idea by analyzing T cell immune checkpoint in tumor microenvironment by algorithm: A bibliometric analysis

To evaluate the temporal and spatial distribution of the knowledge network about tumor microenvironment and prognoses and explore new research hot spots and trends. Articles and reviews on tumor microenvironment and prognoses in the Web of Science journal from January 1999 to April 2022 were included. We used the CiteSpace and VOSviewer software to analyze the knowledge network composed of journals, institutions, countries, authors, and keywords. Frontiers in Immunology, Cancers, and Frontiers in Oncology have published more than 10% of articles in this field. China and the United States have contributed the most articles. Fudan University and Sun Yat-Sen University are the most active institutions. The authors in this field work closely; Zhang Wei and Douglas have made outstanding contributions. The three main research areas of tumor microenvironment and prognoses are microenvironment, prognosis, and immunotherapy. Until 2020, the main keywords were endothelial growth factor and adhesion. In the past three years, survival analysis, immune cell infiltration, and prediction model have been used. It can be seen that the focus in this field has shifted from tumor cell behavior and directly related molecules to prognosis prediction and non-tumor cells in the microenvironment. The future research trend may be to study the changes in the tumor microenvironment to predict the prognosis and guide the treatment. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Microsoft Excel 2019 were used to conduct a comprehensive visual analysis of the research on tumor environment and prognoses and provide valuable reference materials for researchers.

Knowledge mapping of the relationship between norepinephrine and memory: a bibliometric analysis

Introduction

Memory is a fundamental cognitive function for successful interactions with a complex environment. Norepinephrine (NE) is an essential component of catecholamine induced by emotional arousal, and numerous studies have demonstrated that NE is a key regulator in memory enhancement. We therefore conducted a bibliometric analysis to represent the knowledge pattern of the literature on the theme of NE-memory relationship.

Methods

The WOSCC database was selected to extract literature published during 2003-2022. The collected data of annual production, global cooperation, research structure and hotspots were analyzed and visualized.

Results

Our results showed that research on the links between NE and memory displayed a considerable development trend over the last two decades. The USA had a leading position in terms of scientific outputs and collaborations. Meanwhile, University of California Irvine contributed the most publications. Benno Roozendaal and James McGaugh were the most prolific authors in this field, and Neurobiology of Learning and Memory had the highest number of publications on this topic. The research emphasis has evolved from memory-related diseases and brain regions to neural mechanisms for different types of memory at neural circuit levels.

Conclusion

Our bibliometric analysis systematically analyzed the literature on the links between NE and memory from a bibliometric perspective. The demonstrated results of the knowledge mapping would provide valuable insights into the global research landscape.

Late Results of Early End-to-End Repair in Sciatic Nerve Injuries

OBJECTIVE

Mechanisms of sciatic nerve injury include gunshot injury, sharps injury, injection injury, contusion, femoral fracture injury, and iatrogenic injury due to fracture surgery. Regardless of the type of injury, patients undergoing sciatic nerve repair have poor motor and sensory outcomes. In this study, we compared the late outcomes of a group of patients in whom the author performed an early end-to-end anastomosis for sciatic nerve sharps injury and another group of patients with a similar injury who were not operated on but left to natural history.

METHODS

The sciatic nerve, comprising two primary divisions with distinct muscle innervations, was subject to separate examinations. Group 1 (n=10, study group) underwent tibial division anastomosis, while Group 2 (n=12, control group) received no surgical intervention involving the tibial division. Similarly, Group 3 (n=11, study group) underwent peroneal division anastomosis, while Group 4 (n=14, control group) encompassed subgroups that did not undergo peroneal division surgery.

RESULTS

In Group 1, the rate of gain in plantar flexion muscle strength was significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared to Group 2. Furthermore, the sensory examination gain level ratio within the tibial domain was significantly greater (p < 0.05) in Group 1 than in Group 2. Additionally, Group 1 exhibited a significantly higher rate (p < 0.05) of detection of regeneration and reinnervation findings in electromyography (EMG) compared to Group 2.

CONCLUSION

When evaluating the long-term outcomes following early end-to-end anastomoses of the sciatic nerve, it becomes evident that while significant improvements are observed when compared to individuals without anastomosis, the positive impact of surgical interventions on motor and sensory gains in daily life remains limited. Nevertheless, we contend that early surgical intervention holds potential advantages in terms of patient management.

Research trends and hotspots on the links between caveolin and cancer: bibliometric and visual analysis from 2003 to 2022

Introduction: Extensive studies indicated that caveolin is a key regulator in multiple cellular processes. Recently, growing evidence demonstrated that caveolin is critically involved in tumor progression. Since no relevant bibliometric study has been published, we performed a bibliometric and visual analysis to depict the knowledge framework of research related to the involvement of caveolin in cancer. Methods: Relevant studies published in English during 2003-2022 were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database. Three programs (VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R-bibliometrix) and the website of bibliometrics (http://bibliometric.com/) were applied to construct networks based on the analysis of countries, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords. Results: A total of 2,463 documents were extracted and identified. The United States had the greatest number of publications and total citations, and Thomas Jefferson University was the most productive institution. Michael P. Lisanti was the most influential scholar in this research domain. Cell Cycle was the journal with the most publications on this subject. The most local-cited document was the article titled "Caveolin-1 in oncogenic transformation, cancer, and metastasis." A comprehensive analysis has been conducted based on keywords and cited references. Initially, the research frontiers were predominantly "signal transduction", "human breast cancer," "oncogenically transformed cells," "tumor suppressor gene," and "fibroblasts." While in recent years, the research emphasis has shifted to "tumor microenvironment," "epithelial mesenchymal transition," "nanoparticles," and "stem cells." Conclusion: Taken together, our bibliometric analysis shows that caveolin continues to be of interest in cancer research. The hotspots and research frontiers have evolved from the regulation of cancer signaling, to potential targets of cancer therapy and novel techniques. These results can provide a data-based reference for the guidance of future research.

Outcomes of Sciatic Nerve Injury Repairs: A Systematic Review

Background

The objective of this study was to investigate the surgical repair techniques and the outcomes of sciatic nerve injuries in traumatic wounds.

Methods

A literature search was conducted using the following keywords:sciatic, nerve, repair, technique, conduit, graft, reconstruction, outcome, rehabilitation, recovery, function, surgery, and NOT anesthesia.

Results

In total, 715 studies were retrieved. After abstract review, 13 articles fit the criteria. A total of 2627 repairs were carried out, including nerve grafts (n = 953), suture (n = 482), and neurolysis (n = 1192). Six studies reported good motor outcome, and good sensory outcome was reported across 2 studies. The thigh region accounted for 81.5% of lesions. Sciatic, peroneal, and tibial nerves were all equally affected. Gunshot wounds were the most common mechanism of injury (22.6%).

Conclusions

The cumulative evidence demonstrates sciatic nerve injury repair has poor motor and sensory outcomes. This study shows there is a lack of standardized outcome measures, making comparisons very difficult. Graft lengths of <4 cm within the intermediate region yielded more successful outcomes. Further higher quality studies of nerve transfers in the lower limbs are needed to determine the optimal repair to restore sciatic nerve function.

Characterization of global research trends and prospects on platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: a bibliometric analysis

Background

In the last decades, growing attention has been focused on identifying effective therapeutic strategies in the orphan clinical setting of women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), generating thousands of original articles. However, the literature involving bibliometric analysis of PROC has not been published yet.

Objective

This study hopes to gain a better understanding of the hot spots and trends in PROC by conducting a bibliometric analysis, as well as identify potential new research directions.

Methods

We searched the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) for PROC-related articles published between 1990 and 2022. CiteSpace 6.1.R2 and VOS viewer 1.6.18.0 were primarily utilized to evaluate the contribution and co-occurrence relationships of various countries and regions, institutes, and journals and to identify research hotspots and promising future trends in this research field.

Results

A total of 3,462 Web of Science publications were retrieved that were published in 671 academic journals by 1135 authors from 844 organizations in 75 countries and regions. The United States was the leading contributor in this field, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was the most productive institution. Gynecologic Oncology was the most productive journal, while the Journal of Clinical Oncology was the most cited and influential. Co-citation cluster labels revealed the characteristics of seven major clusters, including synthetic lethality, salvage treatment, human ovarian-carcinoma cell line, PARP inhibitor resistance, antitumor complexes, folate receptor, and targeting platinum-resistant disease. Keywords and references burst detection indicated that biomarkers, genetic and phenotypic changes, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy were the most recent and most significant aspects of PROC research.

Conclusion

This study conducted a comprehensive review of PROC research using bibliometric and visual techniques. Understanding the immunological landscape of PROC and identifying the population that can benefit from immunotherapy, especially in combination with other therapeutic options (such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy), will continue to be the focal point of research.

The intellectual base and research fronts of IL-37: A bibliometric review of the literature from WoSCC

Background

IL-37 is a recently identified cytokine with potent immunosuppressive functions. The research fronts of IL-37 are worth investigating, and there is no bibliometric analysis in this field. The purpose of this study is to construct the intellectual base and predict research hotspots of IL-37 research both quantitatively and qualitatively according to bibliometric analysis.

Methods

The articles were downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from the inception of the database to 1 April 2022. CiteSpace 5.8.R3 (64-bit, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA) and Online Analysis Platform of Literature Metrology (https://bibliometric.com/) were used to perform bibliometric and knowledge-map analyses.

Results

A total of 534 papers were included in 200 academic journals by 2,783 authors in 279 institutions from 50 countries/regions. The journal Cytokine published the most papers on IL-37, while Nature Immunology was the most co-cited journal. The publications belonged mainly to two categories of Immunology and Cell Biology. USA and China were the most productive countries. Meanwhile, the University of Colorado Denver in USA produced the highest number of publications followed by Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands and Monash University in Australia. Charles A. Dinarello published the most papers, while Marcel F. Nold had the most co-citations. Top 10 co-citations on reviews, mechanisms, and diseases were regarded as the knowledge base. The keyword co-occurrence and co-citations of references revealed that the mechanisms and immune-related disorders were the main aspects of IL-37 research. Notably, the involvement of IL-37 in various disorders and the additional immunomodulatory mechanisms were two emerging hotspots in IL-37 research.

Conclusions

The research on IL-37 was thoroughly reviewed using bibliometrics and knowledge-map analyses. The present study is a benefit for academics to master the dynamic evolution of IL-37 and point out the direction for future research.

Treatment of Liver Fibrosis: A 20-Year Bibliometric and Knowledge-Map Analysis

Objectives: To analyze the research hotspots, evolution, and trends of the treatment of liver fibrosis in the recent 20 years, bibliometric and knowledge-map analysis were used.

Methods: Publications associated with the treatment of liver fibrosis were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection on 16 April 2022. CiteSpace 5.8.R3 and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were calculated to perform bibliometric and knowledge-map analysis.

Results: A total of 72,686 authors from 200 institutions in 134 countries/regions published 15,237 studies in different academic journals. United States was the most productive country, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University was the most published institution. Trauner Michael had the most published articles, whereas Scott L. Friedman was the most frequently co-cited author. Moreover, there was frequent inter-institution cooperation between countries in the years 2015 and after, but the before years showed rare inter-institution cooperation. The journal HEPATOLOGY was both the most published publication and the most frequently co-cited one in this field. Screened keywords, such as virus infection, inflammation, oxidative stress, activation of hepatic stellate cell (HSC), and hepatocellular apoptosis, could be both therapeutic targets and pathological mechanisms in terms of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, long-term suppression of hepatitis B virus replication and the activation of HSC were the latest hotspots and topics related to the treatment of liver fibrosis. Besides, the treatments of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis were also involved in the treatment of liver fibrosis, which were both emerging topics and rapidly developing hot fields.

Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis conducted a full overview of the treatment of liver fibrosis, which provided important clues and ideas for scholars focusing on this field. Not only that, the field is still in a stage of rapid development and will continue to be a research hotspot in the future.

Visual Analysis of Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapy: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2012 to 2021

An increasing number of studies have shown that immunotherapy serves a significant role in treating colorectal cancer (CRC) and has become a hotspot. However, few studies used the bibliometric method to analyze this field comprehensively. This study collected 1,899 records of CRC immunotherapy from 2012 to October 31, 2021, and used CiteSpace to analyze regions, institutions, journals, authors, and keywords to predict the latest trends in CRC immunotherapy research. The United States and China, contributing more than 60% of publications, were the main drivers in this field. Sun Yat-sen University was the most active institution, while the National Cancer Institute had the highest frequency of citations. Most publications were published in the Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer. Adam E Snook was the most prolific writer, while Dung T. Le was the most commonly co-cited author. “T cell”, “MMI” and “PD-1blocked” were the most widely studied aspects of CRC immunotherapy. “Immune checkpoint inhibitor”, “combination therapy”, “drug therapy” and “liver metastases” were current research hotspots. “Tumor microenvironment”, “neutrophils”, “tumor-associated macrophages”, and “suppressor cell” have emerged as research hotspots in recent years. “Gut microbiota”, “nanoparticle” and “tumor mutational burden” as recently emerged frontiers of research that should be closely monitored.

Knowledge Domain and Emerging Trends in Ferroptosis Research: A Bibliometric and Knowledge-Map Analysis

Objectives

To identify the cooperation and impact of authors, countries, institutions, and journals, evaluate the knowledge base, find the hotspot trends, and detect the emerging topics regarding ferroptosis research.

Methods

The articles and reviews related to ferroptosis were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection on November 1, 2020. Two scientometric software (CiteSpace 5.7 and VOSviewer 1.6.15) were used to perform bibliometric and knowledge-map analysis.

Results

A total of 1,267 papers were included, in 466 academic journals by 6,867 authors in 438 institutions from 61 countries/regions. The ferroptosis-related publications were increasing rapidly. Cell Death & Disease published the most papers on ferroptosis, while Cell was the top co-cited journal, publication journals and co-cited journals were major in the molecular and biology fields. The United States and China were the most productive countries; meanwhile, the University of Pittsburgh, Columbia University and Guangzhou Medical University were the most active institutions. Brent R Stockwell published the most papers, while Scott J Dixon had the most co-citations; simultaneously, active cooperation existed in ferroptosis researchers. Ten references on reviews, mechanisms, and diseases were regarded as the knowledge base. Five main aspects of ferroptosis research included regulation mechanisms, nervous system injury, cancer, relationships with other types of cell death, and lipid peroxidation. The latest hotspots were nanoparticle, cancer therapy, iron metabolism, and in-depth mechanism. Notably Nrf2 might have turning significance. The emerging topics on ferroptosis research were the further molecular mechanism of ferroptosis and the wider application of ferroptosis-related disease with advanced technology.

Conclusion

This study performed a full overview of the ferroptosis research using bibliometric and visual methods. The information would provide helpful references for scholars focusing on ferroptosis.

Transferring of femoral nerve motor branches for high-level sciatic nerve injury: a cadaver feasibility study

BACKGROUND

Sciatic nerve injuries cause significant disability. We propose here a novel reconstructive procedure of transferring the motor branches of the femoral nerve as donor nerves to reconstruct both the peroneal and tibial nerve function as a novel approach to treat high sciatic nerve injury.

METHODS

The autopsies of donor nerves (vastus lateralis nerve branch (VLN), vastus medialis nerve branch (VMN), saphenous nerve (SAN)) and respective recipient nerves (deep peroneal nerve branch (DPN), medial gastrocnemius nerve branch (MGN), sural nerve (SN)) were conducted in six fresh-frozen lower limbs. The distance between the origin or bifurcation points of the nerves to the head of fibula and the diameter of the end at the coaptation site were measured. The feasibility of tensionless direct suturing or grafting between the donor nerves and the recipient was evaluated. Finally, the nerve end at the coaptation site was harvested for observation with toluidine blue staining and nerve fiber count.

RESULTS

The mean diameter of the VMN, VLN, MGN, DPN, SAN, and SN nerves were 1.5 ± 0.1, 1.4 ± 0.1, 1.3 ± 0.1, 2.3 ± 0.1, 2.1 ± 0.3, and 1.3 ± 0.2 mm, respectively. Histological observation showed that the abovementioned six nerve bundles had a respective nerve fiber number of 392 ± 27, 205 ± 520, 219 ± 67, 394 ± 50, 308 ± 77, and 335 ± 49. A total of 5/6 specimens needed grafting for a length ranging from 5 to 15 cm to bridge the VMN-MGN, 6/6 needed a graft length of 10-20 cm for VLN-DPN bridging, and 2/6 needed a graft length of 0-4 cm for SAN-SN bridging.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrated the feasibility of the transferring femoral nerve branches to sciatic nerve branches to restore the function for sciatic injury.

Knowledge mapping of medication literacy study: A visualized analysis using CiteSpace

Objective:

The objective of this study was to analyze knowledge mapping and demonstrate the status quo, intellectual base, and hotspots in the field of medication literacy.

Methods:

Using the data from Web of Science Core database, we constructed a knowledge map to visualize medication literacy using CiteSpace, which revealed the power of the studies, core authors and journals, intellectual base, and hotspots in this field.

Results:

According to an analysis of 2025 literature reports, the stronger studies were mainly conducted at research institutions of higher education in the United States. Core author groups with a higher influence were not identified. The core journals included Patient Educ Couns and Fam Med. The health literacy studies served as the foundation for the medication literacy studies. The keywords formed 13 clusters including 5 major clusters.

Conclusion:

The topics in medication literacy study focused on instruments assessing medication literacy, measurement and assessment of medication literacy, medication literacy for the prevention of chronic disease and medication treatment adherence, medication literacy education, and family practice. This study provides an insight into medication literacy and valuable information for medication literacy researchers to identify new perspectives on potential collaborators and cooperative institutions and hotspots.

Visualized analysis of developing trends and hot topics in natural disaster research

This study visualized and analyzed the developing trends and hot topics in natural disaster research. 19694 natural disaster-related articles (January 1900 to June 2015) are indexed in the Web of Science database. The first step in this study is using complex networks to visualize and analyze these articles. CiteSpace and Gephi were employed to generate a countries collaboration network and a disciplines collaboration network, and then attached hot topics to countries and disciplines, respectively. The results show that USA, China, and Italy are the three major contributors to natural disaster research. "Prediction model", "social vulnerability", and "landslide inventory map" are three hot topics in recent years. They have attracted attention not only from large countries like China but also from small countries like Panama and Turkey. Comparing two hybrid networks provides details of natural disaster research. Scientists from USA and China use image data to research earthquakes. Indonesia and Germany collaboratively study tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. However, Indonesian studies focus on modeling and simulations, while German research focuses on early warning technology. This study also introduces an activity index (AI) and an attractive index (AAI) to generate time evolution trajectories of some major countries from 2000 to 2013 and evaluate their trends and performance. Four patterns of evolution are visible during this 14-year period. China and India show steadily rising contributions and impacts, USA and England show relatively decreasing research efforts and impacts, Japan and Australia show fluctuating activities and stable attraction, and Spain and Germany show fluctuating activities and increasing impacts.

Worldwide Research Productivity in the Field of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery: A 20-year Survey of Publication Activities

MINI: The time trend for the number of minimally invasive spine surgery articles showed a significant increase over time with an average of 93.23 articles per year. Among all related journals, Spine published the largest number of articles in minimally invasive spine surgery research and was the most popular one in the top five countries.

STUDY DESIGN

Bibliometric analysis.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to reveal the characteristics of world productivity in the field of minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) research and to provide a general picture for surgeons and researchers.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Significant growth has been observed in the field of MISS research in recent years. However, bibliometric studies concerning the quantity and quality of articles published in MISS journals are scarce.

METHODS

All the data concerning MISS in this study originate from the Web of Science (Thomson Reuters, New York, NY) without restrictions. All selected literates were evaluated in the following aspects: publication year, publication journals, author, times cited, Web of Science category, countries/territories.

RESULTS

A total number of 2051 articles were published worldwide. The articles published during 2000 to 2015 are more than 11.28 times when compared to those published before 2000. The United States published the largest number of articles (855/2051, 41.7%), followed by Germany (245/2051, 11.9%), South Korea (160/2051, 7.8%), China (147/2051, 7.2%), and Japan (108/2051, 5.2%) and had the highest total citations (16,626). Additionally, the United States had the highest average citations per article (12.14), followed by Japan (11.98), Germany (11.19), South Korea (11.04), and China (10.95). High-income countries published 98.73% of articles, upper-middle-income countries published 0.24% of articles, and middle-income countries published 1.03% of articles.

CONCLUSION

The time trend for the number of MISS articles showed a significant increase over time with an average of 93.23 articles per year. The United States was the most productive country and had the highest average citations per article. Among related journals, Spine published the largest number of articles in MISS research and was the most popular one in the top five countries.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

5.