Bone regeneration materials and their application over 20 years: A bibliometric study and systematic review

Abstract

Bone regeneration materials (BRMs) bring us new sights into the clinical management bone defects. With advances in BRMs technologies, new strategies are emerging to promote bone regeneration. The aim of this study was to comprehensively assess the existing research and recent progress on BRMs, thus providing useful insights into contemporary research, as well as to explore potential future directions within the scope of bone regeneration therapy. A comprehensive literature review using formal data mining procedures was performed to explore the global trends of selected areas of research for the past 20 years. The study applied bibliometric methods and knowledge visualization techniques to identify and investigate publications based on the publication year (between 2002 and 2021), document type, language, country, institution, author, journal, keywords, and citation number. The most productive countries were China, United States, and Italy. The most prolific journal in the BRM field was Acta Biomaterialia, closely followed by Biomaterials. Moreover, recent investigations have been focused on extracellular matrices (ECMs) (370 publications), hydrogel materials (286 publications), and drug delivery systems (220 publications). Research hotspots related to BRMs and extracellular matrices from 2002 to 2011 were growth factor, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC), whereas after 2012 were composite scaffolds. Between 2002 and 2011, studies related to BRMs and hydrogels were focused on BMP-2, in vivo, and in vitro investigations, whereas it turned to the exploration of MSCs, mechanical properties, and osteogenic differentiation after 2012. Research hotspots related to BRM and drug delivery were fibroblast growth factor, mesoporous materials, and controlled release during 2002–2011, and electrospinning, antibacterial activity, and in vitro bioactivity after 2012. Overall, composite scaffolds, 3D printing technology, and antibacterial activity were found to have an important intersection within BRM investigations, representing relevant research fields for the future. Taken together, this extensive analysis highlights the existing literature and findings that advance scientific insights into bone tissue engineering and its subsequent applications.

Bone Regeneration with Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Scaffolds: Systematic Review of Human Clinical Trials

“…According to recent bibliometric studies, the application of stem cells in scaffolds is an area of great research for the treatment of various diseases and defects [ 79 – 81 ]. It is clear that the advance in scaffold fabrication techniques, especially 3D printing, the combination of several materials, the simultaneous implantation of cells inside the scaffold [ 82 ], but also the knowledge for the many different stem cells that could be utilized, would provide new solutions in the current issues. Even more, there are several clinical trials in progress that estimate the effect of stem cells in scaffolds for bone regeneration (Table 8 ).…”

Effect of Functionalization of Texturized Polypropylene Surface by Silanization and HBII-RGD Attachment on Response of Primary Abdominal and Vaginal Fibroblasts

“…To this end, materials are designed to provide bioinstructive cues to influence specific cellular signals and responses [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. This approach has shown some promise in hard tissue repair materials [ 24 ]. In contrast, the lack of convincing evidence combined with the inherent complexity of manipulating polymers still limits its application to soft tissue repair [ 25 ].…”

Eggshell Membrane as a Biomaterial for Bone Regeneration

“…Bone scaffolds are composite materials that can be fabricated using polymers, ceramics, or metals [ 11 ], as typified by a recently developed magnesium-based scaffold [ 12 ]. Polymers constitute reliable and versatile materials for fabricating bone scaffolds, primarily due to their broad biodegradation tunability, surface-to-volume ratio, heterogeneous porosity, and mechanical characteristics [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ].…”