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Global Spine Journal

Global Spine Journal is the official scientific publication of AO Spine. It is a peer-reviewed open access journal devoted to the study and treatment of spinal disorders, including diagnosis, operative and non-operative treatment options, surgical techniques, and emerging research and clinical developments.

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Impact Factor 3
Quartile Q2
Open Access Type Open
ISSN 2192-5682
eISSN 2192-5690
Invitation Only No
Cost Range Article processing charge (APC): $3,200; APC for AO Spine members: $0.

Submission Instructions

Global Spine Journal accepts the following article types. Click on an article type to view submission instructions.

Original Research

Cover Letter A cover letter is required when third-party writing or editing assistance was used or when someone other than a listed author submitted the manuscript on the authors’ behalf. The cover letter must disclose any third-party writing or editing assistance and state if the submission was made by someone who is not listed as an author.
Abstract A structured abstract is required. Abstract must not exceed 250 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract headings must be Study Design, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Main manuscript documents generally include an Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments, Statements and Declarations section, and References. Include 4-8 keywords after the abstract, add an Author Contributions heading after the Acknowledgements section, and include a 'Statements and Declarations' section with each required subheading and 'Not applicable' where a declaration does not apply.
References References and citations must follow AMA style. References must be cited in consecutive numerical order using superscript Arabic numerals, list all authors unless there are more than 6 in which case the first 3 are followed by 'et al.,' and format author surnames with initials without periods.
Figures & Tables Figures, tables, and images must not be embedded in the main document and must be uploaded after the references, except figures, charts, and tables created in Word must be included in the main text with a placeholder note in the running text for separately submitted figures. Provide a separate Word document of figure legends for all figures, number figures consecutively in the order cited, and ensure tables are editable Word tables rather than images.
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Review Articles

Cover Letter A cover letter is required when third-party writing or editing assistance was used or when a non-author submitted the manuscript on behalf of the authors. The cover letter must disclose any third-party writing or editing assistance and whether the submission was made by someone who is not listed as an author, and submission must confirm originality, author rights, author approval, and permissions for copyrighted material.
Abstract An abstract is required. Abstract must not exceed 250 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract headings must be Study Design, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Main manuscript documents generally include an Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments, Statements and Declarations section, and References. Include 4-8 keywords after the abstract, an Author Contributions heading after the Acknowledgements section, and a 'Statements and Declarations' section with each required subheading, using 'Not applicable' where needed.
References References and citations must follow AMA style. References must be cited in consecutive numerical order using superscript Arabic numerals, and the reference list must give all authors unless there are more than 6, in which case list the first 3 followed by 'et al.'.
Figures & Tables Figures, tables, and images must not be embedded in the main document and must be uploaded after the references, except figures, charts, and tables created in Word must be included in the main text. All figures must be numbered consecutively and include a number and title, figure legends must be uploaded as a separate Word document, and tables must be editable Word tables with a number and title.
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Narrative Review

Cover Letter A cover letter is required when third-party writing or editing assistance was used or when a non-author submits on behalf of the authors. The cover letter must state any third-party writing or editing assistance, any non-author submission on behalf of the authors, and confirm originality, author rights, necessary permissions, and approval by all contributing authors.
Abstract A structured abstract is required. Abstract must not exceed 250 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract headings must be Study Design, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Main manuscript documents generally include an Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments, Statements and Declarations section, and References. Include 4-8 keywords after the abstract, an Author Contributions heading after the Acknowledgements section, and a 'Statements and Declarations' section with each required subheading, using 'Not applicable' where a declaration does not apply.
References References and citations must follow AMA style. References must be cited in consecutive numerical order using superscript Arabic numerals, and the reference list must list all authors unless there are more than 6, in which case list the first 3 followed by 'et al.'.
Figures & Tables Figures, tables, and images must not be embedded in the main document and must be uploaded after the references, except figures, charts, and tables created in Word must be included in the main text. All figures must be numbered consecutively in text order and have a number and title, while tables must be labeled as tables and include a number and title.
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Literature Review

Cover Letter A cover letter is not explicitly required. The cover letter must disclose any third-party writing or editing assistance and state if the submission was made by someone who is not an author on behalf of the authors.
Abstract An abstract is required. Abstract must not exceed 250 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract headings must be Study Design, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Main manuscript documents generally include an Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments, Statements and Declarations section, and References. Include 4-8 keywords after the abstract and include an Author Contributions heading plus a Statements and Declarations section with all required subheadings, stating 'Not applicable' where needed.
References References and citations must follow AMA style. References must be cited in consecutive numerical order using superscript Arabic numerals, and the reference list must list all authors unless there are more than 6, in which case the first 3 are followed by 'et al.'.
Figures & Tables Figures, tables, and images must not be embedded in the main document, with images uploaded as separate files after the references, tables uploaded after the references, and a figure legend Word document uploaded after the references and before the figures. Figures must be numbered consecutively and provided with legends, and tables must be editable Word tables with a number and title.
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Systematic Review

Cover Letter A cover letter is required only if third-party writing or editing assistance was used or if the submission was made by someone who is not an author. The cover letter must disclose any third-party writing or editing assistance and state if the submission was made on behalf of the authors by someone not listed as an author.
Abstract A structured abstract is required. Abstract must not exceed 250 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract headings must be Study Design, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Main manuscript documents generally include an Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, Acknowledgments, Statements and Declarations section, and References. Include 4-8 keywords after the abstract, an Author Contributions heading after the Acknowledgements section, and a 'Statements and Declarations' section with each required subheading, using 'Not applicable' where relevant.
References References and citations must follow AMA style. References must be cited in consecutive numerical order using superscript Arabic numerals, and the reference list must list all authors unless there are more than 6, in which case list the first 3 followed by 'et al.'.
Figures & Tables Figures, tables, and images must not be embedded in the main document and must be uploaded after the references, except figures, charts, and tables created in Word must be included in the main text. All figures must be numbered consecutively and include a title, and tables must be editable Word tables with a number and title.
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Registered Reports – Pre-Data

Cover Letter Cover Letter requirements are not specified.
Abstract Abstract must not exceed 250 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract headings must be Study Design, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Stage 1 submissions must include complete Introduction and Methods sections and Proposed Analyses. Include 4-8 keywords after the abstract and include an Author Contributions heading plus a Statements and Declarations section on the title page.
References References and citations must follow AMA style. References must be cited in consecutive numerical order using superscript Arabic numerals, and the reference list must list all authors unless there are more than 6 authors, in which case list the first 3 followed by et al.
Figures & Tables Figures, tables, and images must not be embedded in the main document, with images uploaded as separate files after the references and tables uploaded after the references. Tables must be editable in Word and figures must be numbered consecutively in the order cited.
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Registered Reports – Post-Data

Cover Letter Cover Letter requirements are not specified.
Abstract Abstract must not exceed 250 words. Abstract must be structured. Abstract headings must be Study Design, Objectives, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
Manuscript Stage 2 submissions must include Results and Discussion sections and otherwise adhere to the journal’s manuscript requirements. Include 4-8 keywords after the abstract and include a section headed 'Statements and Declarations' on the title page after the Acknowledgements and Author Contributions sections, using each required subheading and stating 'Not applicable' where relevant.
References References and citations must follow AMA style. References must be cited in consecutive numerical order using superscript Arabic numerals, list all authors unless there are more than 6 in which case list the first 3 followed by 'et al.,' and include author surnames followed by initials without periods.
Figures & Tables Figures, tables, and images must not be embedded in the main document and must be uploaded after the references, with figure legends uploaded as a separate Word document before the figures. Tables must be editable Word tables with a number and title, and figures must be numbered consecutively and include a number and title.
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Letter To The Editor

Cover Letter During submission, authors must confirm originality, rights to the work, required permissions, and that all contributing authors consent to submission. The cover letter must disclose any third-party writing or editing assistance and whether submission was made on behalf of the authors by a non-author.
Abstract Abstract must not be included.
Manuscript Letter to the Editor must consist of one or two paragraphs totaling no more than 500 words. Letter to the Editor must be written as one or two paragraphs without subheadings.
References Letter to the Editor must include fewer than 8 references. References and citations must follow AMA style. Letter to the Editor references must list one author followed by et al. and omit article titles.
Figures & Tables Figures must not be included. Figures, tables, and images must not be embedded in the main document.
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Recent Publications

Impact of Paraspinal Muscle Characteristics on the Risk of Symptomatic Epidural Hematoma Following Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Luming Kong, Huapeng Guan, Songlin Liang, Renchang Chen, Xintian Qu, Moji Wangchen, Zelin Yue, Nianhu Li

10.1177/21925682261469104
View Publication

Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality After Operative Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A National Trauma Data Bank Analysis From 2021 to 2023

Mitchell K. Ng, Leonidas E. Mastrokostas, Paul G. Mastrokostas, Alejandro J. Friedman, Sean Inzerillo, Pemla Jagtiani, Jesse M. Galina, Arie Monas, Jorden Xavier, Khaled Elmenawi, Anthony E. Seddio, Arya Varthi, Jad Bou Monsef, Afshin E. Razi, Andrew P. Alvarez, Mark F. Kurd, Ian David Kaye, Barrett Woods, Alan S. Hilibrand, Alexander R. Vaccaro, Gregory D. Schroeder, Christopher K. Kepler, Thomas D. Cha

10.1177/21925682261468269
View Publication

Surgical Outcomes of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy in Patients with Parkinson Disease: A Systematic Review

Shota Takenaka, Hiroyuki Ishiguro, Toshitaka Yoshii, Kentaro Yamada, Eiji Takasawa, Satoshi Nori, So Kato, Kazuya Kitamura, Takeo Furuya, Hiroaki Nakashima, Norimitsu Wakao, Kazuyoshi Nakanishi, Yasushi Fujiwara, Masahiro Yoshida, Masahiko Watanabe, Hirotaka Chikuda

10.1177/21925682261468270
View Publication

Impact of “Asymptomatic,” Radiographic Foraminal Stenosis on Lumbar Spine Surgery Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Rebecca L. Boyle, Tim Xu, Zora C. Hahn, Tomoyuki Asada, Ted Shi, John E. Lama, Arsen M. Omurzakov, Evan D. Sheha, Sheeraz A. Qureshi, Sravisht Iyer

10.1177/21925682261464611
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Surgical Timing and Neurological Outcomes in Traumatic Central Cord Syndrome: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

Rachel Crasta, Saeed Abdollahifard, Tyler Barnes, Mehrdad Behboodi, Fahimeh Golabi, Erfan Sanaei, Ali Razmkon, Rouzbeh Motiei-Langroudi

10.1177/21925682261466959
View Publication

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to publish?

Accepted articles can appear online within an average of 30 days after APC processing. Manuscripts undergo initial evaluation before peer review, and three independent expert reviews are required for a manuscript to reach a Revise or Accept decision.

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Is a cover letter required?

A covering letter is required when third-party writing or editing assistance is involved or when someone other than a listed author submits the manuscript on the authors' behalf.

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What are the publication costs?

Article processing charge (APC) is $3,200, payable upon acceptance before publication. AO Spine members receive an APC waiver and Letters to the Editor are not charged an APC.

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Research Topics

Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology Spinal Fractures and Fixation Techniques Cervical and Thoracic Myelopathy Scoliosis diagnosis and treatment Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation Medical Imaging and Analysis Management of metastatic bone disease Pelvic and Acetabular Injuries Spinal Hematomas and Complications Anesthesia and Pain Management Spinal Cord Injury Research Infectious Diseases and Tuberculosis Hip and Femur Fractures Orthopedic Infections and Treatments Spondyloarthritis Studies and Treatments Orthopaedic implants and arthroplasty Bone health and osteoporosis research Shoulder Injury and Treatment Cardiac, Anesthesia and Surgical Outcomes Surgical site infection prevention Intraoperative Neuromonitoring and Anesthetic Effects Spinal Dysraphism and Malformations Hip disorders and treatments Clinical practice guidelines implementation Total Knee Arthroplasty Outcomes