Objective To conduct a bibliometric analysis of Chinese and English literature on the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) from 1995 to 2025, and visualize its research status, development context, cooperation network, hot topics and frontier trends. Methods Relevant Chinese literature from January 1995 to December 2025 were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang and VIP, and relevant English literatures from January 1998 to December 2025 were retrieved from Web of Science (WOS). CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to visually analyze the trend of publication, countries, institutions, authors, keywords, etc., and draw a knowledge map. Results A total of 6 093 literature were included, including 5 242 Chinese literature and 851 English literature. The overall number of publications showed a fluctuating upward trend, and Chinese research output and cooperation in this field were dominant. The core research institutions are represented by Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Keyword analysis showed that the current research hotspots focused on traditional therapies such as clinical efficacy, mechanism of action, traditional Chinese medicine compound, acupuncture and massage. Emergent words and cluster analysis showed that the frontier trend was turning to the mechanism exploration and application research of interdisciplinary and new drug delivery systems such as network pharmacology, metabolomics, programmed cell death, intestinal flora-articular axis, self-assembled nanocarriers and metal-organic frameworks. Conclusion Research on TCM for KOA prevention and treatment has entered a phase of rapid development and deep integration. While continuing to validate clinical efficacy, it is increasingly converging with modern technologies, shifting the research paradigm toward systems biology, precision medicine, and intelligent drug delivery. Through the integration of multi-omics, molecular subtyping, and the development of innovative formulations, TCM holds promise for playing a more pivotal role in the prevention, early intervention, and disease-modifying treatment of KOA.

kee osteoarthritis  /  taditional Chinese medicine  /  CiteSpace  /  VOSviewer  /  bibliometrics  /  visualization analysis