To analyze the current research status in diabetic foot care, explore research hotspots and frontiers, and provide a theoretical basis for formulating targeted intervention strategies for patients with diabetic foot.

CiteSpace 6.1.R6 was used to analyze the volume of publications, authors, institutions, and keywords retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the Web of Science.

A total of 2 665 articles were included in the analysis, comprising 2 439 Chinese and 226 English articles. The connections between authors and research institutions in the field of diabetic foot care research were found to be loose. In CNKI, research hotspots focused on diabetic foot care interventions, prevention, and health education, while literature from the Web of Science concentrated on multidisciplinary teams, health guidance, and self-management. Future domestic and international research trends in this field were generally consistent, mainly reflecting on negative emotions associated with diabetic foot, blood sugar control, quality of life, and traditional Chinese medicine nursing.

Most studies are conducted independently by authors and institutions, highlighting a potential for stronger collaboration and multi-center research; research hotspots have their unique characteristics. Domestically, there is an opportunity to learn from international experiences in the composition of research teams and health education.

Diabetic foot; Nursing care; Knowledge map; Visual analysis; CiteSpace