Objective To review the 40-year development journey of the Journal of Medical Biomechanics, summarize its distinctive features, and provide a reference for the journal’s future development. Methods The achievements of the journal in editorial board construction, digital development, database indexing, and academic exchanges were systematically reviewed. The academic impact of the journal was analyzed through key bibliometric indicators and published content. Future prospects for the journal were also discussed. Results From 2015 to 2024, the academic influence of the journal showed an overall upward trend. While the number of published articles increased significantly, the impact factor and total citation frequency also grew synchronously. Original research articles accounted for approximately 90% of the total publications, with rehabilitation, bone and joint, and cardiovascular biomechanics being the top three subject areas in terms of publication contents. The subject distribution was broad yet highly concentrated. The journal owned a group of core authors who have made significant contributions, and the high-productivity institutions were mainly 985 and 211 universities, as well as research institutes. Conclusions After 40 years of development, the journal has continuously improved its academic quality and influence. In the future, efforts should continue in three aspects: innovating content development, improving publication mechanisms, and enhancing the core competitiveness of the journal.