Guide for Authors

This guide provides essential information for authors preparing manuscripts for submission to the journal. Authors are encouraged to read this guide carefully before submission and to consult the journal’s Aims and Scope, Article Types, Open Access and Fees, and Journal Policies pages where applicable.

The journal publishes scholarly work in orthopaedics, orthopaedic surgery, trauma, spine, sports medicine, arthroplasty, hand surgery, foot and ankle surgery, paediatric orthopaedics, musculoskeletal oncology, rehabilitation, implants, biomaterials, biomechanics, surgical technology, robotics, navigation, imaging, translational musculoskeletal science and related clinical or preclinical research.

Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s requirements may be returned for correction before editorial assessment or peer review. Submission of a manuscript does not guarantee external peer review or acceptance.

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should ensure that the work is suitable for the journal and that all required materials are prepared.

Authors should:

• read the journal’s Aims and Scope to confirm that the manuscript fits the journal’s academic focus and target readership;

• select the appropriate article type and follow the relevant requirements for structure, word limits, references, tables, figures and supplementary materials;

• ensure that the manuscript is original, has not been formally published previously and is not under consideration by another journal;

• obtain approval from all authors for the submitted version;

• ensure that authorship, author order and corresponding author details have been agreed by all authors before submission;

• prepare all required statements, including ethics approval, informed consent, author contributions, competing interests, funding, data availability, clinical trial registration and AI-use statements where applicable;

• clearly identify any implant, device, instrument, navigation system, robotic platform, biologic product, rehabilitation technology or software tool studied;

• disclose manufacturer, sponsor, funder or technology provider involvement in study design, device or implant development, data access, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation and publication decisions;

• follow appropriate reporting guidelines according to the study design;

• obtain permission for any third-party material, including figures, tables, images, radiographs, CT or MRI images, surgical videos, implant diagrams, device drawings, technical illustrations or substantial text reproduced or adapted from other sources;

• review the journal’s policies on peer review, publication ethics, authorship, research ethics, data availability, use of AI, copyright, licensing and post-publication updates.

Authors who are unsure whether their manuscript is suitable for the journal may contact the Editorial Office with a pre-submission inquiry. A pre-submission inquiry should include the manuscript title, author list, abstract and a brief explanation of the manuscript’s relevance to the journal. A positive response to a pre-submission inquiry does not guarantee peer review or acceptance.

Preprints

The journal considers manuscripts that have been posted on recognized preprint servers, provided that the work has not been formally published and is not under consideration by another journal at the same time.

Authors must disclose any preprint at submission and provide the preprint server name, DOI or link where applicable. If the manuscript is accepted, authors are encouraged to update the preprint record with a citation and link to the final published article.

Online Submission

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online submission system. Authors should create a user account, log in and submit the manuscript following the instructions in the system. Submissions sent by email are generally not considered unless specifically requested by the Editorial Office.

The maximum file size for individual uploaded files is 50 MB, unless otherwise specified by the submission system.

The journal considers several types of manuscripts. Authors should select the article type that best matches the purpose, design and scope of their work.

Detailed requirements for each article type, including word limits, abstract format, reference limits, figure and table limits and required sections, are provided on the Article Types page.

Common article types may include:

Original Research Article

Reports original research findings based on clinical, translational, biomechanical, preclinical, epidemiological, registry-based, imaging, rehabilitation, methodological or other scholarly research. Original Research Articles should generally include Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion sections.

Clinical Trial / Interventional Study

Reports prospective or retrospective studies involving surgical procedures, implants, devices, biologics, rehabilitation interventions, perioperative protocols, robotic systems, navigation systems or other orthopaedic interventions. Authors should provide ethics approval, trial registration information, intervention details and safety reporting where applicable.

Registry Study / Real-world Evidence Study

Reports studies using arthroplasty registries, trauma registries, institutional databases, administrative data, electronic health records or other routinely collected data. Authors should describe data source, governance, coding definitions, linkage methods, missing data, validation procedures and limitations.

Surgical Technique / Technical Note

Describes a surgical approach, operative technique, reconstruction method, fixation strategy, implant positioning method, navigation workflow, robotic workflow or technical improvement. Authors should clearly indicate the level of evidence and avoid presenting early or limited experience as definitive proof of safety or effectiveness.

Implant, Device or Biomaterial Study

Reports clinical, biomechanical, preclinical or translational research involving implants, fixation devices, prostheses, orthobiologics, bone substitutes, biomaterials, instruments, navigation systems or robotic platforms. Authors should identify the product, manufacturer, model, material, version and regulatory status where applicable.

Biomechanical, Cadaveric or Preclinical Study

Reports biomechanical testing, cadaveric research, animal studies, in vitro studies, computational modelling, finite element analysis or other preclinical work. Sufficient methodological and technical detail should be provided to support reproducibility and critical evaluation.

Rehabilitation / Functional Outcome Study

Reports studies involving postoperative rehabilitation, physiotherapy, functional recovery, return to sport, gait analysis, patient-reported outcomes or long-term musculoskeletal function.

Imaging / Diagnostic Study

Reports research involving radiographs, CT, MRI, ultrasound, EOS imaging, three-dimensional reconstructions, image-based measurements, diagnostic accuracy, imaging biomarkers or automated image analysis. Authors should describe imaging protocol, measurement methods, assessor training, blinding and reliability testing where applicable.

AI, Robotics, Navigation or Digital Orthopaedics Study

Reports studies involving AI-enabled image analysis, robotic surgery, navigation systems, surgical planning software, predictive models, diagnostic algorithms, implant positioning tools, outcome prediction tools or clinical decision support. Authors should describe system version, development and validation methods, datasets, performance metrics, human oversight, limitations and potential risks.

Review Article

Provides a comprehensive, balanced and critical overview of a defined topic. Review Articles should synthesize current evidence, identify knowledge gaps and discuss future directions.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Presents a systematic search, selection, appraisal and synthesis of existing evidence. Authors should follow appropriate reporting guidelines and provide protocol registration information where applicable.

Case Report / Case Series

Describes clinically or scientifically important cases involving diagnosis, treatment, surgical decision-making, complications, implants, trauma, rare disorders or unexpected outcomes. Written informed consent for publication must be obtained when identifiable patient information, clinical images, radiographs, surgical videos or case details are included.

Guideline / Consensus

Provides evidence-based or expert consensus recommendations on a specific topic. The methodology for evidence review, panel composition, conflict-of-interest management, consensus development and recommendation grading should be clearly described.

Editorial / Commentary / Perspective

Presents expert opinion, critical discussion or interpretation of current issues in orthopaedics, musculoskeletal science, surgical innovation, rehabilitation, technology or policy. These article types are usually commissioned, but unsolicited submissions may be considered at the editors’ discretion.

Letter to the Editor

Provides brief comments on articles published in the journal or concise observations of interest to readers.

Manuscripts should be prepared clearly, concisely and consistently. Authors should write for an international scholarly audience and avoid unnecessary jargon, unsupported claims or excessive technical detail that is not essential to understanding the work.

File Format

Manuscripts should be submitted in an editable format, such as Microsoft Word. LaTeX files may be accepted where appropriate. Figures, tables, radiographic images, surgical videos and supplementary materials should be prepared according to the journal’s file and formatting requirements.

Title Page

The title page should include:

• manuscript title;

• full names of all authors;

• author affiliations;

• corresponding author name, email address and full contact details;

• ORCID iDs, where available;

• equal contribution or co-corresponding author notes, where applicable;

• short running title, if required;

• word count, number of figures, number of tables and number of supplementary files, if requested.

Abstract and Keywords

The abstract should accurately summarize the purpose, methods, main findings and conclusions of the manuscript. Original Research Articles, clinical studies, registry studies, biomechanical studies and intervention studies should generally use a structured abstract where required by the article type.

Authors should provide keywords that are specific, searchable and relevant to the manuscript. Standardized medical, surgical, anatomical or musculoskeletal terms should be used where appropriate.

Main Text

Original Research Articles should generally include:

• Introduction;

• Methods;

• Results;

• Discussion;

• Conclusions, where appropriate.

The Methods section should provide sufficient detail to allow the work to be evaluated and, where applicable, reproduced. Authors should describe study design, setting, participants or specimens, eligibility criteria, surgical or non-surgical intervention, implant or device details, comparator, outcome measures, imaging methods, statistical methods, software, sample size considerations and analysis plans where relevant.

The Results section should present findings in a logical order, supported by appropriate tables, figures and statistical information. The Discussion should interpret the findings in the context of existing evidence, acknowledge limitations and avoid overstating conclusions.

Surgical, Implant and Device Details

Where applicable, manuscripts should clearly describe the surgical technique, implant, device, instrument, robotic platform, navigation system, biologic product or rehabilitation technology studied.

Authors should provide relevant information, including:

• diagnosis, indication and eligibility criteria;

• surgical approach, fixation method, reconstruction technique or implant positioning method;

• implant, device, instrument, robotic system or navigation platform name;

• manufacturer, model, version, generation, material, coating, bearing surface or other relevant characteristics;

• whether the implant, device or product was approved, cleared, CE-marked, investigational, off-label, custom-made, three-dimensionally printed, modified or used for research purposes;

• surgeon experience, center volume, operator training or learning curve considerations where relevant;

• comparator, standard care, control intervention or historical control.

Authors should avoid promotional language and should not present investigational, early-stage or limited-validation surgical techniques, implants or devices as established clinical practice.

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively in the order in which they are cited in the text. Each table and figure should have a clear title and legend.

Figures should be of sufficient resolution for peer review and publication. Authors should avoid image manipulation that could misrepresent the data. Adjustments to brightness, contrast or color balance must not obscure, eliminate or misrepresent information.

Where figures or tables are reproduced or adapted from another source, authors must obtain appropriate permission and provide proper attribution.

Clinical Images, Radiographs and Surgical Videos

Clinical photographs, radiographs, CT or MRI images, ultrasound images, three-dimensional reconstructions, intraoperative images, surgical videos and other visual materials should be anonymized before submission where applicable.

Written consent for publication is required when any patient, case detail, image, video, tattoo, scar, facial feature, rare deformity, unusual injury or identifiable anatomy may allow direct or indirect identification.

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary materials should be directly relevant to the manuscript and should support, but not replace, the main text. Supplementary files may include extended methods, additional tables, figures, datasets, checklists, protocols, statistical analysis plans, surgical videos, imaging datasets, measurement protocols, rehabilitation protocols, biomechanical testing details, code or other supporting information.

References

References should be accurate, complete and relevant. Authors are responsible for checking all references before submission. References should be formatted in accordance with the journal’s reference style. Please click here to download the journal’s EndNote output style.

Authors should avoid inappropriate citation practices, including excessive self-citation, citation manipulation or citation of unreliable sources.

Language and Style

Manuscripts should be written in clear English. Authors should use precise, professional and non-promotional language. Claims regarding safety, effectiveness, superiority, durability, functional benefit or clinical utility should be supported by appropriate evidence.

Authors who are not fluent in English may consider professional language editing before submission. Language editing does not guarantee editorial review or acceptance.

Relevant guidelines may include:

• CONSORT for randomized trials;

• CONSORT extensions for non-pharmacologic or surgical interventions where applicable;

• SPIRIT for clinical trial protocols;

• PRISMA for systematic reviews and meta-analyses;

• STROBE for observational studies;

• RECORD for routinely collected health data;

• STARD for diagnostic accuracy studies;

• TRIPOD or TRIPOD+AI for prediction model studies;

• CARE for case reports;

• ARRIVE for animal studies;

• TIDieR for intervention description;

• SQUIRE for quality improvement studies;

• CONSORT-AI or SPIRIT-AI for clinical studies involving AI components, where applicable.

Authors should consult the EQUATOR Network to identify the most appropriate reporting guideline for their study design.

Orthopaedic Clinical Studies

For orthopaedic clinical studies, authors should describe the clinical context, intervention, patient population and outcome assessment in sufficient detail.

Where applicable, authors should report:

• diagnosis, indication and eligibility criteria;

• anatomical site and disease or injury classification;

• surgical or non-surgical intervention details;

• implant, device, biologic, rehabilitation protocol or technology used;

• comparator, standard care, control intervention or historical control;

• perioperative care, rehabilitation protocol and follow-up schedule;

• clinical outcomes, radiographic outcomes, patient-reported outcomes and safety endpoints;

• complications, reoperations, revisions, readmissions, mortality and long-term outcomes where relevant.

Implants, Devices and Surgical Innovation

For studies involving implants, devices, biomaterials, robotics, navigation systems, surgical planning tools or novel surgical techniques, authors should report product identity, manufacturer, model, version, regulatory status and whether the technology was used within or outside its approved or intended use where applicable.

Authors should describe learning curve effects, surgeon experience, training, center volume and implementation context where these factors may affect outcomes.

Early, uncontrolled or highly selected experience should not be presented as definitive evidence of safety or effectiveness.

Registry and Real-world Data Studies

For registry-based or real-world data studies, authors should describe:

• data source and governance;

• inclusion and exclusion criteria;

• coding definitions and outcome definitions;

• linkage methods and data quality procedures;

• missing data and follow-up completeness;

• validation methods where available;

• revision, reoperation or complication definitions;

• limitations related to registry coverage, coding accuracy, loss to follow-up and confounding.

Imaging and Outcome Assessment

For imaging studies, authors should describe imaging modality, acquisition protocol, measurement method, assessor training, blinding, interobserver and intraobserver reliability, measurement thresholds and clinical relevance where applicable.

For patient-reported outcome studies, authors should describe the instrument used, scoring method, timing of assessment, validity evidence and clinically meaningful thresholds where available.

Clinical Trial Registration and Data Sharing

Clinical trials and interventional studies involving orthopaedic surgery, implants, devices, biologics, rehabilitation interventions, surgical navigation, robotics or other orthopaedic interventions should be registered in a publicly accessible registry before participant recruitment begins, where applicable. The registry name and registration number should be provided in the manuscript.

Manuscripts reporting clinical trials should include a data sharing statement where required by applicable standards or journal policy. The statement should indicate whether de-identified individual participant data will be shared, what data will be shared, whether related documents such as the study protocol or statistical analysis plan will be available, when and for how long data will be available, and the conditions for access.

Biomechanical, Cadaveric, Preclinical and Animal Studies

For biomechanical, cadaveric, preclinical, in vitro or animal studies, authors should provide sufficient methodological detail to support reproducibility and critical evaluation.

Where applicable, authors should report:

• specimen type, source, donor characteristics, anatomical site and procurement process;

• ethical approval, consent, donation program or exemption for cadaveric or human tissue use;

• specimen storage, thawing, preparation and exclusion criteria;

• implant, device, fixation construct, material or instrument tested;

• comparator, control condition and rationale;

• loading conditions, test setup, alignment, preconditioning, cycles, displacement, failure criteria and measurement methods;

• sample size rationale, randomization, blinding and statistical analysis where applicable;

• computational model assumptions, boundary conditions, mesh sensitivity and validation where relevant;

• limitations and relevance to clinical orthopaedic practice.

For animal studies, authors should follow appropriate animal research reporting standards and describe measures taken to minimize pain, distress and unnecessary animal use.

Authors must include all statements required by the journal and applicable policies. These statements should usually appear in the manuscript file, title page, acknowledgements section or submission system, according to the journal’s instructions.

Required statements may include:

Ethics Approval

Studies involving human participants, human data, human tissue, musculoskeletal specimens, imaging data, registry data, cadaveric specimens, animals or identifiable clinical information must include the name of the ethics committee, institutional review board or relevant authority, approval number or reference, and any relevant exemption information.

Informed Consent

For studies involving human participants, authors should state whether informed consent was obtained. For identifiable patient information, case details, clinical photographs, radiographs, CT or MRI images, three-dimensional reconstructions, surgical videos or any other identifiable material, written consent for publication must be obtained.

Clinical Trial Registration

Clinical trials and interventional studies should provide the registry name and registration number where applicable. Registration should occur before participant recruitment begins.

Author Contributions

Authors should describe each author’s contribution to the work. The journal encourages use of the CRediT taxonomy where appropriate.

Competing Interests

All authors must disclose any financial or non-financial competing interests. For orthopaedic research, relevant disclosures may include employment, consultancy, advisory roles, honoraria, speaker fees, stock ownership, patents, patent applications, royalties, licensing agreements, paid expert testimony, sponsored research, implant or device donation, instrument loan, technical support, statistical support, writing assistance, registry access, data access arrangements or other relationships with implant manufacturers, device companies, robotics companies, navigation system providers, biomaterials companies, pharmaceutical companies, rehabilitation technology companies or sponsors.

Funding

Authors should disclose all funding sources and grant numbers. The role of funders, sponsors, manufacturers or technology providers in study design, implant or device development, patient recruitment, data collection, data access, analysis, interpretation, manuscript preparation and the decision to submit should be stated. If the work received no specific funding, this should also be declared.

Data Availability

Authors should include a Data Availability Statement describing where the data supporting the findings can be accessed or explaining why data cannot be shared.

For clinical studies, authors should ensure that shared data are appropriately de-identified and consistent with ethics approval, informed consent and applicable data protection requirements. Restrictions due to privacy, ethics, legal, commercial, intellectual property, registry governance, institutional confidentiality or patient re-identification risks should be clearly explained.

Use of AI and AI-assisted Technologies

AI tools and large language models cannot be listed as authors. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality and integrity of all submitted content.

Use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies beyond basic language editing should be disclosed according to the journal’s AI policy. Authors should identify the tool used, describe how it was used and verify all AI-assisted content, including references, factual claims and generated text.

Acknowledgements

Individuals or organizations that contributed to the work but do not meet authorship criteria should be acknowledged with their permission.

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should ensure that the following items are complete:

• the manuscript fits the journal’s Aims and Scope;

• the correct article type has been selected;

• the manuscript follows the relevant structure and formatting requirements;

• the title page includes complete author, affiliation and corresponding author information;

• all authors have approved the submitted version;

• authorship, author order and corresponding author details have been confirmed;

• the abstract and keywords are included;

• all tables, figures, images and videos are cited in the text and uploaded in the required format;

• figure legends and table titles are complete;

• supplementary materials are cited and uploaded where applicable;

• references are accurate and complete;

• surgical technique, implant or device details are reported where applicable;

• clinical outcomes, radiographic outcomes, complications, reoperations and revisions are reported where applicable;

• ethics approval, informed consent and trial registration information are provided where applicable;

• author contributions, competing interests, funding and data availability statements are included;

• manufacturer, sponsor, funder or technology provider involvement is disclosed where applicable;

• AI-use disclosure is included where applicable;

• reporting checklists and flow diagrams are uploaded for relevant study types;

• permission has been obtained for third-party material;

• the cover letter has been prepared;

• all required files have been uploaded to the submission system.

Manuscripts should be submitted through the journal’s online submission system. Submissions sent by email are generally not considered unless specifically requested by the Editorial Office.

During submission, authors may be asked to provide:

• manuscript title and abstract;

• author names, affiliations and email addresses;

• corresponding author details;

• article type;

• keywords;

• cover letter;

• manuscript file;

• figures, tables and supplementary files;

• required statements and declarations;

• reporting checklists;

• suggested or opposed reviewers, where permitted;

• funding and competing interest information.

The cover letter should briefly explain the importance of the work, its relevance to the journal and why it may be of interest to the journal’s readership. Authors should also disclose any related manuscripts, previous submissions, preprints, trial registry records, device reports, registry reports, surgical technique reports or overlapping work.

Authors may suggest potential reviewers where permitted by the submission system. Reviewer selection remains at the editors’ discretion. Suggested reviewers must be independent and free from conflicts of interest.

After submission, the corresponding author will receive confirmation from the submission system. The Editorial Office may contact the corresponding author if required information is missing or if files need correction before editorial assessment.

If revision is invited, authors should submit the revised manuscript within the deadline stated in the decision letter. Extensions may be requested from the Editorial Office where necessary.

A revised submission should usually include:

• a clean version of the revised manuscript;

• a marked-up or tracked-changes version showing revisions;

• a detailed point-by-point response to all editor and reviewer comments;

• revised figures, tables, images, videos or supplementary materials, where applicable;

• updated declarations or statements, if any changes have been made.

Authors should respond to each comment respectfully and clearly. Where authors disagree with a reviewer or editor comment, they should provide a reasoned explanation supported by evidence where appropriate.

Submission of a revised manuscript does not guarantee acceptance. Revised manuscripts may be returned to reviewers, assessed by the editors or declined if concerns have not been adequately addressed.

After acceptance, authors may be required to complete a publishing agreement, confirm copyright and licensing arrangements, select open access options where applicable and pay any applicable publication charges.

The corresponding author will receive proofs for review before publication. Proof corrections should be limited to typographical errors, formatting issues and factual corrections. Substantial changes to the content, authorship, data, analysis or conclusions after acceptance may require editorial approval.

Accepted articles may be published online before assignment to an issue, where applicable. The final published article will be assigned a DOI.

After publication, authors may share their article according to the journal’s article sharing and self-archiving policies. Requests for corrections, retractions, expressions of concern or other post-publication updates will be handled according to the journal’s relevant policies.