Bibliometric and visualized analysis of current research trends in the finite element analysis of lumbar spine

Study Design: Bibliometric analysis. Objective: The purpose of this study is to collect and analyze articles related to finite element analysis of lumbar spine (FEALS), to compare the number of articles published in various countries and journals, and to find out the research hotspots in recent years. Summary of Background: In recent years, studies on FEALS are growing rapidly, but bibliometric studies regarding this field have not been conducted earlier. Methods: Research data sets were acquired from the Web of Science database and the time span was defined as "1900 to 2020". VOS viewer and Citespace software were used to analyze the data and generate visualization knowledge maps. Annual trends of publications, distribution, H-index status, co-authorship status, and research hotspots were analyzed. Results: A total of 1,322 publications met the requirements. Researchers from US published the most articles (432, 25%), and their total cited times (14,176) and H-index were ranked first in all countries. University of Montreal (108) was the most productive organization on FEALS. Journal of Biomechanics (121) published the most articles. Collaborations between authors and institutions were relatively weak. Musculoskeletal model, bone mineral density, and pedicle screw were the hotspots in this research field. Conclusion: This bibliometric study showed that there was a growing trend in published articles related to FEALS during the last 30 years. The United States have made significant contributions to the field. University of California System was the institution that published the highest quality papers. Journal of Biomechanics and Spine were the top two productive journals on FEALS. Musculoskeletal model, bone mineral density, and pedicle screw were the research trend in recent years.