ArticleOrthopaedic surgery2025
Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis of Research Relating to Spinal Modic Changes Reported Over the Period 2004-2024.
Article in Orthopaedic surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- MRI radiomics reveals pain-related biomarkers for modic changes.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Bibliometric and Visualized Analysis of Research Relating to Spinal Modic Changes Reported Over the Period 2004-2024.Orthopaedic surgery · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveModic changes (MC) are pathological signal alterations occurring in the vertebral endplates and adjacent bone marrow. These changes are frequently linked to degenerative disc diseases and are associated with low back pain symptoms. However, despite increasing research interest, existing studies are fragmented, mostly descriptive, and lack a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of research patterns, hotspots, and collaboration networks in this field. This study aims to evaluate the current research landscape and global trends regarding spinal MC using bibliometric analysis.
methodsWe retrieved relevant publications on spinal MC from the Web of Science Core Collection database, spanning January 2004 to August 2024. Using CiteSpace, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of keywords, co-authors, institutions, countries, research domains, cited literature, cited authors, and cited journals.
resultsThis study analyzed 603 articles published in 168 journals from 193 countries. China emerged as the leading contributor in terms of publication volume, while the University of Oulu in Finland demonstrated the most significant institutional impact. J. Karppinen was identified as the most prolific author, whereas M. Modic was the most frequently cited. Among journals, Spine accounted for the highest number of publications and citations. Key research hotspots identified through keyword analysis include "degenerative disease," "bone marrow changes," "abnormalities," "type II changes," "lower back," "protrusion," "discectomy," "paraspinal muscles," "obesity," and "overweight".
conclusionThis study represents the first known bibliometric analysis and visualization of MC, offering clinicians valuable insights into research priorities and directions. Future investigations should prioritize the classification, pathophysiological mechanisms, and clinical significance of different types of MC, especially their roles in pain and functional impairment. Research should also explore the impact of obesity and paraspinal muscles on the progression of MC. Moreover, studies should examine the potential benefits of weight loss and muscle strengthening in alleviating symptoms. Finally, researchers should focus on leveraging artificial intelligence to improve the identification and understanding of MC.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.