Tables, illustrations Numerical data given in graphs or tables must not be duplicated. All figures, whether photographs, graphs or diagrams, should be numbered consecutively throughout and submitted on separate sheets. Related figures will be arranged together whenever possible. If this is not possible, the author must ensure that the patient cannot be identified. The inscriptions should be clearly legible and in proportion to the overall size of the figure.
Type footnotes on the manuscript page on which they occur.
If necessary, brand names can be inserted in parentheses at first mention in the text. If trademarks of instruments and other devices are mentioned, list manufacturer and city. Springer offers a user-friendly Word document template for writing your manuscript. Please consult the Technical instructions for manuscripts and illustrations in electronic form regularly published in this journal or consult our internet home page. However, please do not transmit any data until the manuscript has been reviewed and accepted for publication.