AIMS AND SCOPE
The Spine Journal, the official journal of the North American Spine Society, is an international and multidisciplinary journal that publishes original, peer-reviewed articles on research and treatment related to the spine and high-quality, ethical, evidence-based spine care, including basic science and clinical investigations. The Spine Journal (TSJ) also publishes major reviews of specific topics, technical notes, editorials and special features.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION & TRACKING
TSJ uses exclusively an electronic submission and tracking system, the Elsevier Electronic System, or EES. Authors may submit their articles by simply registering, logging in and uploading. After registering and submitting, authors may also track their manuscript’s progress through the editorial and review process.

Detailed instructions on the use of the online submission system are available on the EES site. Please read the helpful “Hints” for information on how to register, and review the “Tutorial for Authors” for an overview of the submission process. If you need further help, please contact the Author Support Department via e-mail at authorsupport@elsevier.com.

FORMAT
The following separate components are required (except as noted when optional): 

1. Manuscript document (blinded- no author names, headers, acknowledgements)
2. Abstract (structured as per below)
3. Keywords (6-10)
4. Tables (optional)
5. Figures (optional)
6. Author Disclosure(s) and Affirmation, using online forms
7. Title Page (separate from manuscript) with all authors, affiliations and corresponding author’s full contact information

Text files: TSJ can accept text files in most standard word processing formats but Microsoft Word is preferred. Manuscripts must be blind (no author names, headers, acknowledgements, imbedded comments) keyed double-spaced throughout, including References with 1” margins in 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Acronyms and other abbreviations should be first defined and then remain consistent throughout the manuscript. Any reference in the text to manufacturers or commercial products or equipment must include the manufacturer’s name and location in brackets.
                                                                                                                  

Distinguish between capital letter O and number 0, as well as capital letter I, lowercase letter l and number 1. However, authors should not attempt to determine the visual presentation of the article. All design considerations regarding typeface, page layout, artwork, etc. will be handled by the Publisher; do not use any special formatting. All text should be flush left. Do not indent paragraphs. Double hard return between paragraphs and between list items. Do not use hard returns within a paragraph or list item. There should be no tabs used, except in Tables, where they should be used to align columns.  Do not use your word processor’s hyphenation capabilities.
 

Graphics: preferred formats are TIFF, JPEG or EPS with 72 DPI minimum. For further information on the preparation of electronic artwork, please refer to Elsevier's Author Artwork Instructions.

CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
Abstract and Keywords: A structured abstract must be included with all article-types and must use the following subheadings in the order shown (Subheadings may not be combined):

• Background Context
• Purpose
• Study Design/Setting
• Patient Sample (MUST be included in Clinical Studies)
• Outcome Measures (MUST be included in Clinical Studies)
• Methods
• Results
• Conclusions
• Keywords. 6 to 10 keywords or phrases for indexing, submitted under KEYWORDS

Please note: the Outcome Measures subheading must provide information on one or more of the following categories, listed in the following order:

• Self-report Measures, eg, validated pain rating scale, disability questionnaire, etc.
• Physiologic Measures, eg, imaging or electrodiagnostic tests, aerobic capacity, range of motion or strength, etc.
• Functional Measures, eg, work status, health utilization, activities of daily living assessment, etc.

References: References must be identified in the text by Arabic numerals in the order in which they are cited in the text (Alphabetical order is not accepted). Personal communications and unpublished data should be mentioned in the text in parentheses rather than being included in the Reference list.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of References. References from journals should include the first six authors (followed by “et al” for any additional authors), the full title of the article, the name of the journal abbreviated according to Index Medicus, year of publication, volume number and inclusive page numbers. Reference style and punctuation must follow the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals prepared by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (available here) as shown in the following examples. Extensive examples of citation formats for all types of referenced material can be found here.

Examples:

Article:
King, W.; Lau, P.; Lees, R.; Bogduk, N. The validity of manual examination in assessing patients with neck pain. Spine J 2007;1;22-26.

Book:
Fast A, Goldsher D. Navigating the Adult Spine, Bridging Clinical Practice and Neuroradiology. New York: Demos Medical Publishing, 2007:140-149.

Chapter in a Book:
Ozonoff MD, Burrows EH. Intracranial calcification. In: Newton TH, Potts DG, eds. Radiology of the skull and brain, vol 1, book 2. St. Louis: CV Mosby, 1974:323-373.

Figures: Figures should be consecutively numbered (Arabic) as they appear in the text and accompanied by legends. Four-color figures will be printed in color at the AUTHOR’s expense. Figures that have been previously published must be submitted with a letter of permission to reprint from the original publisher. All Figures should be high resolution TIFF, JPEG or EPS format; 72 DPI minimum is required.

Figures must not be imbedded within or attached to the manuscript; they are submitted separately, one-at-a-time, under FIGURES. Further information on Figures can be found here.

Figure Legends: Legends should be double-spaced, numbered corresponding to the Figures. The Legend must appear within the main manuscript, immediately following the References. Please use lowercase letters to label multipart figures. When symbols, arrows, numbers or letters are used for identification, each should be explained clearly in the Legend. For microphotographs, internal scale marks should be defined and the method of staining given. If the figure has been previously published, a credit line should be included and a Letter of Permission from the previous publisher must accompany manuscript submission.

Tables: All Tables should be typed, double-spaced and be numbered consecutively with descriptive titles (no legends). All abbreviations used must be defined in footnotes at the bottom of the Table. Acknowledgement of previously published material should be given in a footnote to the Table, and the source should be included in the Reference list. Footnotes should be ordered as they appear in the Table with superscript Arabic numerals.

Tables must not be imbedded within or attached to the manuscript; they are submitted separately, one-at-a-time, under TABLES.

Permissions: The author is responsible for obtaining in writing the permission of the publisher and/or copyright holder to reprint in TSJ any previously published material. Quotations must be accurate and full credit given to their source. The author is responsible for any associated reprint fee. Reference to personal communication must be included in the text using the following form (name, degrees of the person(s) with whom the author has communicated, written or oral communication, month and year). Reference to unpublished data should follow a similar format (name, degree, unpublished data, month, year). The author MUST obtain written permission from the source to use such information and copies MUST be submitted with the manuscript.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
The Spine Journal publishes many types of articles in additional to Clinical Studies. If you wish to submit an article type listed below, please review these special requirements.

Review Articles: The manuscript should cover an established but controversial area of multidisciplinary spine care with the goal of updating and consolidating knowledge and the conceptual framework.  It should include a minimum of 50 references with 20-30 pages of double-spaced text, 3-5 explanatory tables and appropriate artwork. Structured Abstract is required.

Technical Reviews/Reports:  The manuscript should deal with newer material of interest. The text length may vary in length from 10-25 double-spaced pages and should include a minimum of 15 references. Ample illustrations (radiographs, photo-graphs and original art) should be used to clearly show the devices/ equipment, technique and pictorial evidence. Structured Abstract is required

Case Studies/Reports:  The manuscript should report on a specific case or series of related cases of interest, with limited references to the literature. Text length should be relatively brief (8-10 double-spaced pages.) Illustrations (radiographs, photographs) should be included. Structured Abstract is required.
 

Special Features:  Authors are encouraged to submit material for publication in any of the following special features sections of The Spine Journal. All should follow the general format of instructions to authors provided above.

• Letters to the Editor are strongly encouraged, should be addressed “To the Editor” and submitted with the understanding that the material may be shortened or otherwise edited. Letters that address material previously published in The Spine Journal may be followed by responses from the author of the previous material and/or the Editor.
• SpineFiles includes a wide range of brief commentaries on spine-related issues such as spine education, spine and law, spine and public policy, spine in the arts, etc.
• Faces of Spine Care is composed of brief presentations of material in which the dominant interest is in the visual image(s), including radiographic and MRI images, histo-pathology, photographs or electro-diagnostic tracings; should be submitted as high quality images (TIFF or EPS format only) and accompanied by legends, very brief explanatory text and 1-8 references.
• Information Resource Reviews (including reviews of books and other instructional material) may be submitted unsolicited or assigned.
• SpinePosts are very brief notations of historical spine-related events.

 The Spine Journal does not accept items for the Meetings Calendar.

DISCLOSURE, AFFIRMATION OF AUTHORSHIP AND COPYRIGHT RELEASE
Disclosure Statement:  A North American Spine Society (NASS) Disclosure Statement Form and Affirmation of Authorship are prompted automatically during the online submission process and must be completed (one for each author) to finalize the submission. All grants and/or research funding must state full name of donor and include grant number(s). FDA approval status is required for any devices and/or drugs identified as an important component within the manuscript.

Elsevier and the TSJ Editors believe it useful to outline our expectations of authors and procedures that the journal will employ in the event of questions concerning author conduct. Procedures and guidelines with respect to such queries and investigations are outlined in the Elsevier position on Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication and should be reviewed by authors.

Copyright Transfer: Upon acceptance of an article by The Spine Journal, the author(s) will be asked to transfer copyright of the article to the publisher. This transfer will ensure the widest possible dissemination of the published material under US copyright law. Further information is available here.

PROOFS AND REPRINTS
The corresponding author will receive proofs, which should be corrected and returned to Elsevier within 48 hours. The authors must carefully check proofs to see that all errors are corrected and queries from editors answered. Keep a copy for your records.

Authors may order reprints using the order form provided with the galley proofs.

QUESTIONS?
If you have any general questions, please e-mail the NASS Editorial Office or call toll-free: (866) 960-6277; or direct: (630) 230-3646.

If you have questions related to the electronic submission process or uploading your files, please contact the Author Support Department via e-mail at: authorsupport@elsevier.com.