Depicting developing trend and core knowledge of Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis: a bibliometric and visualized analysis

Abstract Background Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis（PVNS）is a subtype of Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor that can broadly affect the soft tissue inner layer of the joints and tendons. It has a high rate of invasiveness and recurrence, which means it has become a crucial issue. This study provides information on the present status, evolutionary path, worldwide trends, frontier research hotspots, and future research developmental trends in this field. Methods Publications from 1971 to 2021 were retrieved from the Web of Science database and analyzed using a bibliometric methodology. VOSviewer software was utilized for analysis.Results There is an increasing trend of relative research interests and the number of publications per year globally. The research institution with the highest documents and citations was Harvard University. The United States showed its dominant position in publication outputs, followed by China and Germany. Clin Orthop Relat Res and Skeletal Radiol have published the most papers in this field. The keywords can be divided into eight clusters: ‘mortality’, ‘surgical management’, ‘rehabilitation’, ‘osteoporosis’ and ‘epidemiology’. Conclusions The publications about PVNS research would be remaining at a high level in the future based on the current global trends. The key focus of PVNS has been synovectomy, joint replacement, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy. Most patients can be controlled through simple surgery, and more research needs to be conducted for patients who need comprehensive treatment.