Introduction: Bone marrow edema syndrome (BMES), transient osteoporosis of the hip (TOH), and regional migratory osteoporosis are overlapping terms used inconsistently to describe a rare condition marked by transient joint pain, bone marrow edema, and localized demineralization. The lack of standardized terminology and diagnostic criteria has hindered research coherence. Methods: In this bibliometric analysis, we aimed to characterize the historical and structural development of literature in this field and identify influential contributions, key themes, and collaborative patterns among authors. A systematic search was conducted in Embase and MEDLINE via the Ovid platform. Bibliometric data were extracted from Web of Science and Scopus. Results: A total of 769 publications were retrieved, of which 661 had bibliometric metadata in Web of Science or Scopus. Publication activity spanned 1950 to 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.1%. Most publications were categorized as articles (73.5%) with a median citation count of 3 (range 0–340). Core topics included transient osteoporosis of the hip, BMES, magnetic resonance imaging, and necrosis. A total of 2575 unique authors were identified, with a collaboration index of 3.3. International co-authorship was limited (3.4%) and there were few prolific contributors. The most active journals included Osteoporosis International , Skeletal Radiology , and the Journal of Rheumatology . The United States, Germany, and Italy were the most productive countries by corresponding author affiliation. Conclusions: The literature on BMES and related terms is fragmented, with slow publication growth and low author retention. This analysis underscores the urgent need for terminological standardization, consensus-based diagnostic criteria, and enhanced international collaboration to unify research efforts and advance clinical understanding.
Hasvik et al. (Fri,) studied this question.