Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (28): 7410-7417.doi: 10.12307/2026.786

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Extracorporeal shock wave therapy: current research status, hotspots, and trends

Zhang Jingyi1, Zhi Liang1, Yang Zeyu1, Li Yaning1, Hu Jia1, Wang Jia1, Wang Yulong2, Long Jianjun2     

  1. 1School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, Shandong Province, China; 2Department of Rehabilitation, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen 518035, Guangdong Province, China
  • Received:2025-09-10 Revised:2025-11-15 Online:2026-10-08 Published:2026-02-25
  • Contact: Long Jianjun, Senior technologist, Master’s supervisor, Department of Rehabilitation, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen 518035, Guangdong Province, China
  • About author:Zhang Jingyi, MS candidate, School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, Shandong Province, China
  • Supported by:
    Construction Plan for International Basic and Applied Basic Research Institutions, No. HTHZQSWS-KCCYB-2023060 (to LJJ); “Nanjing Medical University Li Jian’an Team” Program of Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen, No. SZSM202111010 (to WYL)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal shock wave therapy, as a non-invasive and non-invasive treatment technique, is widely used in various fields. Currently, there is no systematic analysis of the latest research status, hot topics, and development trends in this field. 
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the research status, hotspots, and trends of extracorporeal shock wave therapy using bibliometric visualization software over the past 10 years. 
METHODS: Relevant literature in the field of extracorporeal shock wave therapy was retrieved from the Web of Science core database from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2024. CiteSpace was used for analyzing publication volume, collaborations among countries/regions, institutions, and authors, citation analysis of journals and co-cited literature. Additionally, keyword co-occurrence, clustering, and burst analyses were conducted, and visualized knowledge maps were generated. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 1 641 articles were included. The number of publications in the field of extracorporeal shock wave therapy is generally on the rise over the past 10 years. China, the United States, and Italy are the top three countries in terms of publication volume in this field. Chang Gung University, University of California, and Harvard University are the top three research institutions in terms of publication volume. A total of 280 journals have published articles related to extracorporeal shock wave therapy, with Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research being the most cited journal and PLoS One being the most centrally relevant. The author with the highest publication volume is Wang, Ching-Jen from Chang Gung University. There is relatively little collaboration between authors with high publication volume and their research groups. The hot keywords in this field are double-blind, pain, erectile dysfunction, plantar fasciitis, and lateral epicondylitis of the humerus. The emerging keywords are rabbits, ischemia, myocardial infarction, fascial disease, muscle spasms, and erectile function. The research directions are diversified. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is a non-invasive and safe treatment method. Pain management, musculoskeletal system diseases, and urinary system diseases have been research hotspots in the field of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in the past decade. The study of related mechanisms of action has been a focused research interest. Future research in this field may focus on the study of standard parameters for extracorporeal shock wave therapy and long-term efficacy verification.

Key words: extracorporeal shock wave therapy, bibliometric analysis, CiteSpace, visualization analysis, research hotspots, research trends

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