Bibliometrics and knowledge map analysis of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia

Through bibliometric analysis, we aim to comprehensively understand the research dynamics in this field, reveal key scientific research achievements and breakthrough discoveries, and provide valuable reference and guidance for future research directions. Utilizing the Web of Science, we retrieved the literature pertaining to ultrasonics-guided regional anesthesiology (1994–2022). CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used for bibliometric and knowledge mapping analysis. Our examination encompassed publication trends, authorship patterns, institutional contributions, frequently occurring keywords, keyword clustering, and emerging terminology trends. Of the 570 papers reviewed, there was a rising trend in publications each year. The main keywords in regional anesthesia were ultrasound guidance, nerve, analgesia, and pain score. Key research areas were regional anesthesia, ultrasound guidance, approach, pain score, and plane block. The U.S. led in research. Stanford University, University of Toronto, and Cork University Hospital were central institutions. Chan V was the top author with 24 articles, while Marhofer P was the most cited at 150 times. Regional anesthesia and pain medicine were the predominant journal in both publications and citations. In conclusion, research in this field consistently grew yearly, and visualization showcased trends in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. These visuals provided key bibliometric insights, helping researchers further explore and understand this domain.