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Instructions for Authors

A downloadable version of these guidelines is available here.

 

The Western Journal of Orthopaedics (WJO) highlights original research relevant to orthopaedic-focused surgery and engineering.


Please submit all submission documents to WJO@salud.unm.edu.

General Policies

Articles are accepted for exclusive publication in WJO. Previously published articles are not accepted; however, a summary of ongoing research is eligible for submission. Additional requirements include the following:

  1. Authors warrant that their submission to the journal is original work.
  2. All reports of prospective clinical trials submitted for consideration for publication must have been registered in a public trial registry (eg, clinicaltrials.org).
  3. All manuscripts describing a study with human subjects must state that the subjects provided informed consent for their participation and that the study was approved by an institutional review board (if applicable).
  4. All manuscripts describing a study with animals must state that the study was approved by an institutional animal use committee.
  5. All submissions adhere to the criteria for authorship of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE).
  6. Copyright is retained by the authors.

Please email WJO@salud.unm.edu with questions.

Updated October 2021

 

Double-Blind Review and Submission Documents

WJO used a double-blind review, in which the reviewer and author are anonymous to each other. The Blinded Manuscript should not contain identifying information, such as author names. Manuscripts for consideration in WJO must be submitted through the Submission Portal on the WJO website by November 1. The following submission parts must be attached as separate documents:

  1. Title Page, including full author details as outlined below.
  2. Blinded Manuscript, including the title, abstract body, references, and figure legends.
  3. Tables, with each uploaded as a separate Microsoft Word document.
  4. Figures, with each uploaded as a separate JPEG or TIF files.

 

General Formatting

The Title Page and Blinded Manuscript must be submitted as Microsoft Word documents. Use Times New Roman with 12-point typeface and double spacing, including in the reference list, figure legends, and tables. Use 1-inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. Number all pages continuously in the upper right-hand corner. Use continuous line numbering. WJO follows the style, format, and usage guidelines described in the AMA Manual of Style (11th edition).

 

Title Page

Article titles should be concise, specific, and informative. Please do not use abbreviations for the title. The Title Page is saved as a separate file from the Blinded Manuscript. Include the following information:

  1. Authors’ full names; highest academic degrees; and affiliations at the time of research and, if since changed, at the time of submission. There is a limit of six authors, and all authors must meet criteria of ICMJE authorship.
  2. Name, address, telephone, and email of the corresponding author.
  3. Sources of funding for the study. If none, please state “The author(s) received no financial report for the research, authorship, or publication of this article.”
  4. Conflicts of interest for each author. If none, please state “The author(s) report no conflicts of interest.”
  5. Approval number or exemption letter from an institutional review board (if applicable).
  6. Statement of verbal informed patient consent (if Case Report).
  7. Preferred subspecialty of reviewers (eg, trauma, joints, hand, wrist, foot, pediatrics, etc).
  8. Acknowledgments, which may include statisticians, laboratory technicians, physicians who contributed patient data, administrators who secured funding, and individuals who provided writing or editorial assistance.

 

Blinded Manuscript

WJO considers the following types of original articles: reviewers, clinical and basic science studies (called scientific articles), education articles, new technology articles, pilot studies, technical notes, case reports, and reflections. Define abbreviations at first mention. Use generic names for drugs and SI (Supplemental Instruction) units for measurements. Use up to 2 significant digits for values (eg, P<0.05). The maximum word count varies per submission type and does not include the Abstract, References, Tables, and Figure Legends. Subheadings can vary but are generally not included in the Introduction of Discussion/Conclusion sections. 

To ensure a cohesive and consistent structure, all submissions must adhere to word limitations and section headings outlined in the following table.

 

article guidelines table

 

References

References must be cited in the text of the manuscript, in the order of their mention in the text (not alphabetized), by using a superscript number. “Personal communications” cannot be included. Submissions that do not cite all references in will be returned to authors. The reference list should be on a new page after the body of the text. Use the AMA Manual of Style (11th edition) to format all references. If there are more than six authors, the names of only the first three are given, followed by “et al.”

Journal article

Nakamura K, Hirachi K, Uchiyama S, et al. Long-term clinical and radiographic outcomes after open reduction for missed Monteggia fracture-dislocations in children. J Bone Joint Surg AM. 2009;91(6):1394-1404.

Book Chapter

Schon LC, Mann RA. Diseases of the nerves. In: Coughlin MJ, Mann RA, Saltzman CL, eds. Surgery of the Foot and Ankle. Vol1.8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby Elsevier;2007:613-685.

Entire book

Tile M. Fractures of the Pelvis and Acetabulum. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins;1995.

 

Graphic Elements (Tables and Figures)

Tables and figures should complement, not duplicate, the text if a paper. Do not embed tables and figures within the text of the manuscript. Tables are saved separately on different Word files, and figures are submitted separately as graphic files.

 

Tables

Each table is placed in a separate Word document labeled as Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, etc. Use the Word table function, not PowerPoint or spreadsheet, to compose tables. Each table must have a title at the top. With brief footnotes as necessary to clarify abbreviations or unusual data.

 

Figure Legends

Figure legends must be placed together, in the order of their citation in the text, on the last page of the manuscript file. Do not write the figure legends on the figures themselves. All figures must be numbered (Arabic numerals). Figures can have more than one part (eg, Figure 1A, Figure 1B, etc.

 

Figures

Figures must be submitted in JPEG or TIFF format, with a minimum DPR of 300. Attach each figure as an individual file. For example, a figure containing parts 1A, 1B, and 1C should be saves separately under the file names of “Figure 1A,” Figure 1B,” and “Figure 1C.” In the figures, add markers (eg, asterisk) as needed to pinpoint specific parts of the image noted in the legend. Maximum of 12 sperate images.

Magnification, internal scale markers, and stains must be included on the figures when appropriate. Make sure that any information that could be used to identity a patient has been removed from photographs or other images.