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.

TSJ publishes full-length articles (in the form of Clinical Studies and Basic Science papers), Technical Reports, Review Articles, Case Reports, Letters to the Editor and a number of other special features.

All submissions are accepted with the understanding that they have not been, and will not be, published elsewhere substantially in any format. Also, there should be no ethical concerns with the content or data collection. TSJ reserves the right to request any research materials on which the paper is based.

ONLINE MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION & TRACKING
TSJ exclusively uses 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, http://ees.elsevier.com/spinee under “Guide for Authors.” 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 email at authorsupport@elsevier.com.

On the EES front page, click the "Register" link to input your demographics and set up your account. After your registration is complete, a notice will be sent to your email address indicating your username and password. Use this information to log in to the system as an author by choosing the "Login" link on the toolbar and select "Submit New Manuscript." Follow the prompts to complete your submission according to TSJ guidelines listed in these instructions. You are welcome to contact the TSJ Editorial Office if you have any problems or questions. To update any personal information including your physical or email address click on the "Change Details" icon at the top of your screen.

Abstract, Manuscript, Figures and Tables, Disclosure information and Affirmation of Authorship form, must be prepared as SEPARATE files; the system requires that each of these files be uploaded separately and blocks incomplete manuscripts from being submitted to the office. Authors should use only those formats that are acceptable to the publisher, Elsevier, in order to ensure proper publication in the print issues. Please refer to the following individual sections for specific file requirements for text, tables, and figures. Each uploaded file must have a corresponding file extension (such as .doc, .tif). Adherence to the guidelines is essential, and faulty manuscripts will be returned to authors for correction before peer-review.

MANUSCRIPT PEER REVIEW PROCESS
Full length articles, Technical Reports, Review Articles and Case Studies are peer-reviewed. The managing editor and section Deputy Editor are the first-look editors for all manuscripts, evaluating text and general submission format. The managing editor makes sure all manuscripts meet TSJ’s guidelines as prescribed in these author instructions. Once a manuscript has been initially evaluated, the managing editor will assign a set of appropriately chosen peer reviewers to evaluate and make comments on the manuscript. The invited reviewers are knowledgeable about the field of study being discussed, and as such are able to comment on the research and any subsequent conclusions made.

For most manuscripts the TSJ is a double-blind journal. Great care is taken not to reveal the identity of the reviewers or the author(s).

In most cases a deputy editor will evaluate the reviewers’ comments and make a recommendation to the Editor in Chief regarding publication. THE EDITOR IN CHIEF HAS FINAL SAY ABOUT THE FATE OF ALL MANUSCRIPTS. If the editors feel the manuscript could be eligible for publication following author revision – be it minor or major – the submission will be sent back to the corresponding author. The corresponding author should consider making any changes suggested by the reviewers and editors and return the research back to the editorial office. The managing editor will again send the manuscript out for a second round of reviews. Whenever possible, the reviewers from the first round will be invited again, so as to encourage continuity of review.

EXPEDITED REVIEW
The Spine Journal now offers an expedited review process, by which manuscripts can be reviewed, accepted and published in one to two publications cycles (as little as 60 days). Those manuscripts that the editorial board feels are timely in nature, or of great importance to the field of spine care, will be managed through the peer-review process quickly and given a fast-tracked priority rating. If you have material you believe is time sensitive (eg, device complications, procedures under administrative review, etc.), please note this in the submittal letter to the Editor in Chief. We will make every effort to move these submissions to an early publication.

GENERAL MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING
The following separate components are required (except as noted when optional):

1. Abstract (structured as outlined below. Methods section must include detailed relevant disclosure)
2. Keywords (6-10)
3. Classifications
4. Title Page (separate from manuscript) with all authors, affiliations and corresponding author’s full contact information
5. Revision notes (revision stage only)
6. Manuscript document (blinded- no author names, headers, acknowledgements)
7. Tables (optional)
8. Figures (optional)
9. ICMJE-TSJ Author Disclosure form
10. Affirmation of Authorship form
11. FDA drug/device approval status form
12. Level of Evidence form (Clinical Studies only)
13. Appropriate checklists and flow diagrams as specified below in ARTICLE TYPES.

Cover Letter
Manuscripts may be accompanied by a cover letter, to include information on the manuscript’s prior publication or previous rejection by another journal. It is also meant to give the author(s) the chance to speak to the originality of the work being presented, as well as any other information the author(s) wish to convey to the editorial office staff and Editor in Chief. If the paper has been rejected previously by another journal, the author(s) should describe specifically how it has been improved since being rejected.

The Cover letter should be pasted into the box at the “Enter Comments” step, just prior to the “Attach files” section.

The First or Corresponding author of a manuscript should confirm that he/she “had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis as well as the decision to submit for publication.”

A separate cover letter, called a “Revision Notes” file, is required for revised manuscripts, and must respond to all comments made by the reviewers and editors. Even if the authors decide not to alter a part of the manuscript based on a particular revision request, a response should be included for said comment.

Style
Keep to the guidelines of style, terminology, measurement and quantization as prescribed in the American Medical Association Manual of Style (10th ed. Oxford University Press, NY, 2007). 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.

Manuscript pages and text lines should be numbered. When numbering your text, begin the first line on each page with 1.

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. Tabs should not be used, except in Tables, where they should be used to align columns.  Do not use your word processor’s hyphenation capabilities.

Abstracts
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

* The METHODS section of the abstract MUST incorporate both study funding sources and a study-specific appraisal of potential conflict of interest–associated biases in the text of the manuscript. All applicable financial relationships will include magnitude of financial association – specific dollar amounts within ranges. It will be expected that authors will discuss these potential sources of study bias in the ‘‘Discussion’’ section of their article as a matter of routine, similar to discussions of other biases and limitations usually addressed. For more information, please see the editorial in the August 2011 issue of The Spine Journal, “Future directions for The Spine Journal: managing and reporting conflict of interest issues.”

* 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.
 

Corresponding Author
For all submissions, the corresponding author will be responsible for all questions about the manuscript and for reprint requests. Only one author can be designated as “corresponding author.” The title holds no special authority or responsibility regarding content and is rather an administrative designation for the editorial office to have consistent communication with the team of authors. As such, the first/principle author does not need to be designated as the corresponding author. Select an author who will be located at the same address for an extended period, and can respond to post-publication correspondence.

 

Graphics and Figures
The Spine Journal can now publish all figures in full color at no cost to the authors. 

Preferred formats are TIFF, JPEG or EPS with resolutions of 300 DPI and a minimum width of 3.5 inches wide. However, figures created in Microsoft Word or Excel (charts, graphs, etc.) can be presented in Word without concern for resolution or size. For further information on the preparation of electronic artwork, please refer to Elsevier's Author Artwork Instructions.

Figures should be consecutively numbered (Arabic) as they appear in the text and accompanied by legends. Do not embed your labels/titles in the figures; Use the “Description” lines provided with each file at the “Attach Files” step to label. (eg, Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3a, etc.).

Figures must not be embedded within or attached to the manuscript; they are submitted separately, one at a time, under FIGURES.

TSJ has an Artwork Quality checking system, provided through the EES system. At the time of submission, the system evaluates each figure for file type, resolution, size (width) and color scheme. The authors must confirm that the figures “pass” this verification system. Authors should understand, however, that our journal standards for art may exceed the artwork quality check tool. Certain figures will be given a “pass with warning” designation, suggesting that the publisher can work with the file despite its minor flaws. TSJ, however, will rarely accept figures with such a designation.  Please be sure that your figures are the appropriate format, size and resolution before attaching them to your submission. If the authors are not able to provide sufficient digital figures, they will have to submit one 5 x 7-inch, high-quality print of each figure, labeled only on the back, in a separate protected envelope. Once received, the editorial office will scan the figures at the appropriate size and resolution, and upload them to your submission. Please bear in mind this will dramatically slow the progress of your manuscript. As such, we highly recommend you utilize your institution’s Information Technologies department to reformat any figures that do not meet TSJ standards.

The Editor in Chief reserves the right to withdraw a previously accepted manuscript if the author cannot produce high-quality figures in a timely manner to accompany the text.

Figures that have been previously published must be submitted with a letter of permission to reprint from the original publisher.

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. Do not place table titles and descriptions on your Figure Captions page, or any other separate legend page. 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 embedded within or attached to the manuscript; they are submitted separately, one at a time, under TABLES.

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 included in the Reference list.

Do not use the linked endnote feature in your word processing program when formatting your references. However, other reference manager programs can be used.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of References. References from journals should include the first six authors. If there are more than six authors, list the first three, followed by “et al” , 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 as shown in the following examples. Extensive examples of citation formats for all types of referenced material can be found at the National Library of Medicine’s National Institutes of Health website (www.nlm.hih.gov)

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;22-6.
• Book:
  Fast A, Goldsher D. Navigating the adult spine: bridging clinical practice and neuroradiology. New York: Demos Medical Publishing; 2007:p140-9.
• 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; 1974:323-73.

 

Abbreviations
Restrict abbreviations to those that are commonly used and understood. Avoid abbreviations that have meaning only with the context of the specific manuscript. Acronyms, initialisms 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.

Revisions
Revisions should be submitted to the TSJ Editorial Office as soon as possible. The standing deadline is 21 days. It is the corresponding author’s responsibility to request more time if necessary, and to keep the editorial office abreast of the manuscript’s progress. If after six months we do not hear from the corresponding author, the submission in question will be scheduled for deletion from the system. A final disposition of “withdrawn” will be given to the manuscript.

 

ARTICLE TYPES

Clinical Studies (See sub-categories below)
Clinical studies are previously unpublished manuscripts that include clinical investigations, clinical observations and clinically relevant trials. Abstracts for Clinical Studies are required to have all eight (8) structured subheadings: background context, purpose, design, patient sample, outcome measures, methods, results and conclusions.

TSJ has adopted guidelines designed to improve the reporting of clinical studies.  By following these guidelines, many of which include checklists and flow charts, authors ensure that readers can assess the validity of their findings.  Submissions to TSJ must adhere to the guideline that applies to their study, as specified below.

Clinical studies should be between 1500 and 4500 words (approx. 6 to 12 double-spaced pages).

1.  Controlled Trials

a)  Randomized controlled trials (RCTs): Complete CONSORT checklist and include flow diagram in article.

Schulz KF, Altman DG, Moher D, for the CONSORT Group. CONSORT 2010 Statement: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomised trials. Ann Int Med 2010;152 (11):726-32. PMID: 20335313.

Moher D, Hopewell S, Schulz KF, Montori V, Gøtzsche PC, Devereaux PJ, Elbourne D, Egger M, Altman DG, for the CONSORT Group. CONSORT 2010 Explanation and Elaboration: updated guidelines for reporting parallel group randomised trial. BMJ 2010;340:c869. PMID: 20332511.

Ioannidis JPA, Evans SJW, Gotzsche PC, O'Neill RT, Altman DG, Schulz K, Moher D, for the CONSORT Group*. Better Reporting of Harms in Randomized Trials: An Extension of the CONSORT Statement. Ann Intern Med 2004; 141(10):781-788. PMID: 15545678.

Website: http://www.consort-statement.org/  

 CONSORT extensions may apply to specific study types:

i.  Non-inferiority and Equivalence RCTs (link to checklist):
Piaggio G, Elbourne DR, Altman DG, Pocock SJ, Evans SJW, for the CONSORT Group. Reporting of Noninferiority and Equivalence Randomized Trials: An Extension of the CONSORT Statement. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association 2006; 295(10):1152-1160. PMID: 16522836.

ii.  Cluster RCTs (link to checklist):
Campbell MK, Elbourne DR, Altman DG. CONSORT statement: extension to cluster randomised trials. BMJ 2004; 328(7441):702-708. PMID: 15031246.

iii.  Non-pharmacological treatment interventions (link to checklist):
Boutron I, Moher D, Altman DG, Schulz K, Ravaud P, for the CONSORT group. Methods and Processes of the CONSORT Group: Example of an Extension for Trials Assessing Nonpharmacologic Treatments. Ann Intern Med. 2008:W60-W67. PMID: 18283201;

Boutron I, Moher D, Altman DG, Schulz KF, Ravaud P. Extending the CONSORT statement to randomized trials of nonpharmacologic treatment: explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med 2008 Feb 19;148(4):295-309. PMID: 18283207.

iV.  Health-Related Quality of Life Studies:
Calvert M, Blazeby J, Recicki D, Moher D, Brundage M. Reporting quality of life in clinical trials: a CONSORT extension. The Lancet 2011;378(9804):1684-1685.

b)  Non-randomized controlled trials: Complete TREND checklist and include flow diagram in article.

Des Jarlais DC, Lyles C, Crepaz N, and the TREND Group. Improving the reporting quality of nonrandomized evaluations of behavioral and public health interventions: The TREND statement. Am J Public Health. 2004;94:361-366.

Website: http://www.cdc.gov/trendstatement/

A controlled trial is defined by the ICMJE as any research project that prospectively assigns human subjects to intervention and comparison groups to study the cause-and-effect relationship between a medical intervention and a health outcome. A controlled trial, whether randomized or not, must be registered in a public registry meeting ICMJE requirements prior to submission to TSJ.

2.  Observational Studies
Cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies: Complete STROBE checklist (link) and include flow diagram (if applicable) in article.

Reference: von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gotzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. Ann Intern Med 2007; 147(8):573-577. PMID: 17938396.

Website: http://www.strobe-statement.org/

3.  Diagnostic Test Studies
Complete STARD checklist and include flow diagram in article.

Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB, Bruns DE, Gatsonis CA, Glasziou PP, Irwig LM, Lijmer JG, Moher D, Rennie D, de Vet HC. Towards complete and accurate reporting of studies of diagnostic accuracy: the STARD initiative. Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy. BMJ 2003; 326(7379):41-4. PMID: 12511463.

Bossuyt PM, Reitsma JB, Bruns DE, Gatsonis CA, Glasziou PP, Irwig LM, et al. The STARD statement for reporting studies of diagnostic accuracy: explanation and elaboration. Ann Intern Med 2003; 138(1):W1-12. PMID: 12513067.

Website: http://www.stard-statement.org/

4.  Reliability and agreement Studies
Authors should read the following report and include the recommended elements in the article.

Kottner J, Audigé L, Brorson S, Donner A, Gajeweski BJ, Hróbjartsson A, Robersts C, Shoukri M, Streiner DL. Guidelines for reporting reliability and agreement studies (GRRAS) were proposed. J of Clin Epid  2011; 64(1):96-106 PMID: 21130355.

5.  Cost-Effectiveness Studies
Authors should read the following report and include the recommended elements in the article.

Ramsey S, Willke R, Briggs A, Brown R, Buxton M, Chawla A, Cook J, Glick H, Liljas B, Petitti D, Reed S. Good research practices for cost-effectiveness analysis alongside clinical trials: the ISPOR RCT-CEA Task Force report. Value Health. 2005 Sep-Oct;8(5):521-33. Review. PubMed PMID: 16176491.

6.  Systematic reviews and meta-analyses

a)  Reviews of RCTs: Complete PRISMA checklist and include flow diagram in article.

Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. BMJ 2009; 339:b2535. PMID: 19622551.

Liberati A,  Altman DG,  Tetzlaff J,  Mulrow C,  Gøtzsche PC,  et al. The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration. BMJ 2009; 339:b2700. PMID: 19622552.

Website: http://www.prisma-statement.org/index.htm

b)  Reviews of observational studies:

Stroup DF, Berlin JA, Morton SC, Olkin I, Williamson GD, Rennie D, Moher D, Becker BJ, Sipe TA, Thacker SB. Meta-analysis of observational studies in epidemiology: a proposal for reporting. Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) group. JAMA 2000; 283(15):2008-2012. PMID: 10789670.

7.  Uncontrolled Case Series
Authors should read the following report and include the recommended elements in the article.

Kempen JH. Appropriate use and reporting of uncontrolled case series in the medical literature. Am J Ophthalmol. 2011;151(1):7-10.e1. PMID: 21163373.

All clinical studies published in The Spine Journal will include a text box, compiled by the Journal editors, that provides an evidence-based critique of the study. The one-column breakout box is meant to facilitate inquiry and spark discussion on the most important topics of a given paper.

Basic Science Papers
Basic science papers are previously unpublished manuscripts that include laboratory work in areas ranging from basic lab work, cadaver studies, cellular mechanisms, molecular biology, growth factor work, preclinical animal studies and novel imaging (as related to the basic sciences rather than clinical imaging),. Structured abstract is required.

Technical Reports
The manuscript should deal with newer material of interest. The text length may vary 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.

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

Case Reports
Case reports are published online only. The table of contents page in each issue will list those case reports that will be available in that issue’s online version at www.thespinejournalonline.com. 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. A 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 (correspondence) – These are strongly encouraged to foster open dialogue between our readers, authors and editors. These should be addressed “To the Editor” and submitted with the understanding that the material may be shortened or otherwise edited. Letters should be kept to 500 words. Letters that address material previously published in The Spine Journal may be followed by responses from the author of the work being discussed and/or the Editor. All reasonable efforts will be made to ensure the original manuscript authors are given an opportunity to reply to any comments expressed about their work. Replies to letters to the editor must also be less than 500 words.
  
  
• Commentaries – These are solicited pieces, the material for which would reference current topics in spine care, or a concurrently published article. Unlike Letters to the Editor, these pieces will typically be about 1500 words (excluding tables, figures and references) and provide more in-depth discussion on the research in the accompanied manuscript or a topic suggested by the Executive Editorial Board.  These manuscripts are composed as stand-alone articles, with appropriate tables, figures and references (limited to 30).
  
  
• Perspectives – These are solicited and unsolicited editorial pieces about a topic in spine care, extending beyond a letter to the editor – which usually discuss a previously published TSJ article – but that don’t quite meet the criteria for a Review Article. Unlike an Editorial, an article type that is generally reserved for members of the TSJ Editorial Board, Perspectives give a voice to anyone who wishes to express an opinion on a wide range of discussion topics.
  
  
• Journal Reports – A review of one to three articles selected from a monthly survey of medical journals that contain content relevant to TSJ readers. Articles will be chosen by the Special Features Editor and Editor-in-Chief. The Spine Journal would like to encourage readers to submit their recommendations for this feature. You can do so by contacting the editorial office at (630) 230-3646, or by email at spinejournal@spine.org.
  
  
• Topics in Clinical Practice – These recurring topic articles will serve as an updated curriculum of evidence-based reviews of topics relevant to practicing clinicians in spinal disorders: both primary care providers and specialists. Articles in this series should include the following sections: the clinical problem, new evidence, areas of uncertainty, critique of current established guidelines, and the authors' conclusions and recommendations. The text is limited to 2500 words plus references, figures and tables. These articles do not include an abstract, but will include a section box of key advances.
  
  
• Images of Spine Care – brief presentations of material in which the dominant interest is in the visual image(s), including radiographic and MRI images, histopathology, photographs or electro-diagnostic tracings; should be submitted as high quality images (TIFF, JPEG or EPS format only) and accompanied by legends, very brief explanatory text and 1-8 references.
  
  
• Book and Media Reviews – reviews of books and other instructional material, including clinical web sites, blogs and other web content. May be submitted unsolicited or assigned. Any content submitted for review should be sent to:
  
  TSJ Editorial Office
  7075 Veterans Blvd.
  Burr Ridge, IL  60527
  Email: spinejournal@spine.org

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
In accordance with the North American Spine Society’s (NASS) Universal Disclosure Policy and manuscript submission guidelines recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), you will be asked to provide a comprehensive and universal disclosure form during the online submission process. EACH author must provide a universal disclosure, including dollar amounts in ranges for each financial relationship, using the new ICMJE form. The corresponding author is responsible for sending a blank form (or link to form) to each author, and then collecting all completed forms to upload to the list of submission files.

Financial associations relevant to the specific article being submitted should be included in the “Methods” section of the article abstract, and presented in the “Discussion” section of the article. Both should include the magnitude of the financial association (ie, specific dollar amounts within ranges).

Authors of controlled and randomized trials are expected to comply with Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. Reports of noncontrolled trials and other clinical studies submitted to TSJ must follow the CONSORT guidelines for reporting harms (adverse events and complications).


AFFIRMATION OF AUTHORSHIP PROCESS
An Affirmation of Authorship form is also prompted automatically during process. One Affirmation of Authorship form should be completed by the corresponding or first author, providing each author’s name and their involvement in the research, development and writing process.

SIGNATURES ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR ANY MANDATORY FORMS. A typed name at the bottom is sufficient in all cases.

CHECKLIST FOR TSJ SUBMISSION
Below is a checklist of items required by TSJ for evaluation of a submission. These items should be included in each submission. Please be sure you have thoroughly read the instructions for preparation of your manuscript before approving it for submission.

 

• ICMJE Disclosure Form (each author must provide).
• Affirmation of Authorship Form (completed and uploaded)
• FDA Device/Drug Approval Status Form (completed and uploaded)
• Level of Evidence Form for Clinical Studies (completed and uploaded)
• Checklists and flow diagrams as specified above in ARTICLE TYPES.
• Permission for reprinted figures, tables, materials or photographs
• One copy of the manuscript, blinded and formatted according to the instructions
• Title page including:
   *Title
   *Each author's complete name and academic or scientific affiliation.
   *Corresponding Author’s complete and correct address, phone number, and email.
• Structured Abstract
• References (properly formatted)
• Figure Captions (in the manuscript file, following the references section)
• Tables (optional).
• Figures (optional) properly formatted and labeled according to the instructions)
• Appendices (optional) uploaded as “Supplemental File (Text and Figures in .jpg, .tif, .eps, or MS Word format ONLY).”
• Additional figures and tables for online publication only (optional) uploaded as “Supplemental File (Text and Figures in .jpg, .tif, .eps, or MS Word format ONLY).”
• Video for online presentation (optional) uploaded as “Supplemental File (VIDEO ONLY)”

PUBLICATION PROCESS
After an article has been accepted, it will be processed into page proofs, with all art and tables in place. The production editor will send the corresponding author a galley proof by e-mail or mail, which should be corrected and returned within 48 hours. Authors must check their proofs very carefully, because the approval indicates that all copyediting changes have been accepted unless corrections are returned to the production editor. Authors must also answer any copyediting queries listed on the last page of the proof. An order form for article reprints will be sent to the corresponding author before publication. Reprints should be ordered prior to publication.

Keep a copy of the proof for your records.

COPYRIGHT TRANSFER PREPARATION
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 on the main page of EES once logged in.

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, such as figures, tables, and images. The author is responsible for any associated reprint fee. Quotations must be accurate and full credit given to their source. 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.

All requests to reproduce or make available anything from TSJ – in whole or in part, in electronic or in any other format, including translation – must be sent to:

Elsevier Health Sciences Rights Department
1600 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
Suite 1800
Philadelphia, PA  19103-2899
Email: healthpermissions@elsevier.com
Tel: (215) 239-3804

TSJ POLICIES

Financial and FDA Disclosure
All analysis of data, manuscript preparation and presentation will be free of commercial input, influence or bias. It will be the work solely of authors and colleagues. Authors will be forthright about disclosing all relevant data. All relevant findings regarding benefits, risks, complications and related issues will be disclosed in all prepared materials.

The North American Spine Society has adopted a uniform disclosure policy for all office holders, committee members, authors and presenters. As the official journal of NASS, The Spine Journal adheres to this uniform policy. NASS recognizes that professional relationships with industry are essential for development of new spinal technologies and medical advancement. These relationships do not in any way reflect negatively on the character of an individual. The intent of this policy is to encourage disclosure of situations in which there is even the potential for bias without any implications regarding actual bias.

As a sponsor accredited with commendation by the ACCME, the North American Spine Society must ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all its individually or jointly sponsored educational activities. All those participating in a sponsored activity are expected to disclose to the activity audience all financial interests or other relationships with industry that they have. The intent of this disclosure is to ensure that all conflicts of interest, if any, have been identified and have been resolved prior to the speaker’s presentation. By doing so, NASS has determined that the speaker’s or author’s interests or relationships have not influenced the presentation with regard to exposition or conclusion; nor does NASS view the existence of these interests or commitments as necessarily implying bias or decreasing the value of the presentation.

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 is 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.

Affirmation of Authorship
Every person listed as an author should qualify for authorship. Each author must affirm that they participated in and contributed sufficiently to the work to take public responsibility for the appropriateness of the experimental design and method, and the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data. Each author must affirm that the manuscript has been reviewed and approved for submission and/or publication.

Authors listed on the required TSJ Affirmation of Authorship form should be in the order in which they are meant to appear. All authors must agree on this order. After a manuscript has been submitted, the order of authorship (including adding or removing authors) should remain unchanged. Exceptions must be approved by the TSJ editorial office. The corresponding author is responsible for assuring all the involved authors agree with the change.

In multicenter trials, the writing group authors should be listed along with the group name (eg, Jameson RK, Smith MS, on behalf of the *group name*). Other group members should be listed in an appendix before the references.

Duplicate Publication
To protect the integrity of The Spine Journal, only original material will be published in TSJ. Authors who distribute e-prints, preprints, reprints, or substantive content in any format, including digital, of an article into the public domain before publication risk losing the opportunity to publish in TSJ. When authors submit material for publication in TSJ, they must claim the copyright and must transmit copyright of their material to TSJ. Publication of the material elsewhere without permission is a copyright infringement.

Use of Animals in Biomed Research
The Spine Journal condemns unethical treatment of subjects in laboratory research, human and animal. TSJ expects that authors submitting their work do so with the utmost care to ensure that all research was approved by their Institutional Review Board or Animal Research Committee.

Practices Proposed for Articles on Unapproved Uses of Medical Products
FDA is proposing "Good Reprint Practices" for industry use in the distribution of medical or scientific journal articles and reference publications that involve unapproved uses of FDA-approved drugs and medical devices. The proposed practices include ensuring that the article or reference be published by an organization that has an editorial board. The organization also should fully disclose any conflicts of interest or biases for all authors, contributors or editors associated with the journal article.

QUESTIONS?
If you have any general questions, please contact Robin Campbell, Managing Editor: email: rcampbell@spine.org; toll-free phone: (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 email at: authorsupport@elsevier.com.

Updated November 2012