Abstract
Background:
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are increasingly prevalent among adolescent athletes, with higher incidence observed in female populations. These injuries are commonly associated with biomechanical factors, overtraining, and muscle fatigue, which impair joint stability and increase injury risk. Given the growing burden of ACL injuries, this bibliometric analysis aimed to evaluate research trends, key thematic areas, and collaborative networks within the literature on ACL injuries in adolescent athletes.
Methods:
A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the PubMed database. Search terms included variations of “ACL injury” combined with athlete and adolescent-related keywords, with filters applied for English-language and human studies. Publication data were exported to VOSviewer to generate network maps analyzing co-authorship patterns and keyword co-occurrence, enabling identification of research trends and focal topics.
Results:
Analysis demonstrated increasing research output over time, with a focus on adolescent and female athlete populations. Keyword analysis identified prominent themes including ACL reconstruction, rehabilitation, and return-to-sport outcomes, indicating a strong emphasis on treatment and recovery. MeSH term analysis supported these findings, highlighting epidemiological trends in youth athletes. Publication trends also reflected external influences, such as a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic due to reduced clinical activity and research funding.
Conclusions:
Current ACL research in adolescent athletes is primarily focused on treatment and recovery, with comparatively less emphasis on prevention and adolescent-specific risk factors. Future research should prioritize prevention strategies and targeted interventions to reduce injury incidence and improve long-term outcomes in this population.
