Cellular senescence in skeletal diseases: A bibliometric analysis from 2007 to 2024.

Background: Cellular senescence is a state of permanent cell cycle arrest. Numerous studies have highlighted the significant role of cellular senescence in age-related skeletal diseases, including intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis (OA). This article aims to review the current research landscape and identify emerging trends.

Methods: Literature concerning cellular senescence and skeletal disease was obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database, covering publications from 2007 to 2024. The Bibliometrix R package, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace were employed to perform the bibliometric analysis.

Results: A total of 2653 publications were analyzed, revealing a rapid growth trend. China emerged as the dominant contributor, with the highest publication volume (n = 1148), while the United States led in citation impact (total citations = 50,420). Key journals, such as Osteoarthritis and Cartilage and Aging Cell, served as primary platforms for high-impact studies. The most influential author was James L. Kirkland, followed by Richard F. Loeser. Keyword clustering identified cellular senescence in intervertebral disc degeneration, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis as core research domains, while current frontiers focus on the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), mitochondrial dysfunction, extracellular vesicles, and immune infiltration.

Conclusion: Research in this field has garnered substantial attention in recent years. This bibliometric analysis not only underscores the correlation between cellular senescence and skeletal diseases, but also highlights that targeting cellular senescence and the SASP may offer potential therapeutic strategies. These findings can inform future research directions and the development of targeted interventions for age-related skeletal conditions.