Study of platelet-rich plasma application for skin and plastic surgery in recent 20 years: A bibliometric analysis

BackgroundIn recent years, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used in plastic surgery, dermatology, and other treatment procedures worldwide. Since the number of scientific writings has been significantly increasing, it is challenging to generate a manual compilation and systematic review of PRP's therapeutic applications in dermatology and plastic surgeries. This study aimed to make a bibliometric analysis of the literature in the field and evaluate research hotspots and frontiers in this field in the past 20 years. MethodsUsing the Academic Search Premier and ScienceDirect defined search terms, we searched the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus databases. All data were analyzed using CiteSpace 5.8.R3 and VOSviewer, including countries, institutions, authors, keywords, cited authors, cited journals, cited references, discovered research hotspots, and frontiers. ResultsA total of 1931 studies were retrieved. The number of publications on PRP application in dermatology and plastic surgeries showed a yearly increase. The United States was the most significant contributor to this field, while Italy's contribution was noteworthy. The journal with the highest number of relevant articles in dermatology and plastic surgery included the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. However, the Wound Repair and Regeneration and International Journal of Molecular Sciences were the leading journals that should be paid attention to in the future. Author Anitua E from the Tor Vergata University of Rome published the most publications in this field. In the keyword co-occurrence analysis, all keywords were divided into six clusters, and the most common one in recent years was "PRP for facial beauty." Facial rejuvenation, scar, and alopecia were the main hotspots and research trends in this field. ConclusionsBased on the current global trends, the use of PRP in cosmetics and skin care is receiving increasing attention from researchers and clinicians. Recently, an increasing number of articles on PRP's application in skin tissue repair have been published in the United States and Italy. The number of studies on hair loss, facial rejuvenation, and scar management is increasing, suggesting that these subjects may become research hotspots for PRP in dermatology and cosmetic surgeries in recent years.