| Objective During the last 20 years (2001-2020), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a potential treatment for many diseases. However, there is no bibliometric analysis on the progress and future perspectives of MSCs in the treatment of osteoporosis. The purpose of this review is to analyze the research progress and hot spots of MSCs in osteoporosis treatment in the past 20 years using bibliometric analysis and to predict possible future research trend. Methods All literature on MSCs and osteoporosis from 2001 to 2020 was searched from the Web of Science core collection (WOSCC). Data were analyzed using Excel, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace software. The analysis included publication trends, regional distribution, authors and institutions, keyword analysis, and hot research trend. Results Over the past 20 years, 2451 publications on MSCs for osteoporosis were published. The United States (607 articles) and China (1154 articles) were the most published and cited countries. Most of the research institutions that published literature were from China. The top-five research area focused on tissue engineering, osteoblasts, aging, MSCs, and nuclear fibrillar protein A. The hot spots of research included in vitro experiments, progenitor cells, and drug therapy at the beginning, and in mouse models, miRNAs, scaffolds, bone marrow-derived MSCs, long non-coding RNAs, extracellular vesicles, and exosomes at present. Conclusion Future research on MSCs for osteoporosis may continue to grow at a high rate. The possible future research hotspots are predicted to be mouse models, miRNAs, scaffolds, BMSCs, long non-coding RNAs, extracellular vesicles, and exosomes. |