New Beginnings (2015)

Starting this month, I am assuming the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques. I would like to thank Tom Zdeblick for all of his work in taking the journal to new heights. He is an inspiration to spine surgeons throughout the world, both professionally and personally. I consider Tom a close personal friend and a mentor. His hard work has helped the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques become one of the most internationally recognized and respected journals on spine care. Due to his vision and leadership, the journal is one of the most clinically relevant spine journals today. As I assume leadership of the journal, it is clear to me that over the last 10 years, significant changes have affected the medical publishing world. Specifically, the internet and e-publications have allowed for relevant articles to be published in countless journals, and high quality, scientific research is being reported from all around the world. While these changes have allowed for rapid, global dissemination of knowledge, it has also created problems in terms of understanding the value and practicality of medical information for practicing spinal surgeons. There are now five major English language journals that focus solely on spine care. Additionally, there are many smaller journals and general orthopaedic and neurosurgery journals that publish articles on a variety of spinal issues. Because of this, it is impossible for spine surgeons and other spine healthcare professionals to stay up-to-date on all the clinically relevant literature. Similarly, the widespread distribution of JSDT afforded by the internet has lead to a substantial increase in worldwide submissions, such that 2/3 of our published articles are from authors outside of North America. This has inevitably resulted in a significant backlog of articles as the overall volume of submissions has increased. In response to these challenges, the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques is going to undergo major changes under my leadership. Starting in June, the journal will be composed of seven sections: Primary Research; Controversies in Spine Surgery; Narrative Reviews; Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses; Surgical Techniques; Research Methodology, and The Business of Healthcare. Primary research articles will still be the focus of the journal, with each issue having at least five primary research articles; however, all newly accepted manuscripts will have strict requirements for publication (All previously accepted manuscripts will be published, even if they do not meet these requirements). The goal of this section of the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques is to publish high-impact, clinically important articles in a time-sensitive fashion. The Journal will seek to publish high quality Level 1, 2, or 3 studies with at least 50 subjects. Additionally, clinically relevant, high-impact papers will be identified at major spine meetings, and an editorial invitation will be sent to the corresponding authors. With these changes, authors and readers of the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques will be able to access high quality, clinically relevant articles that will have an important impact on the management of patients with spinal disorders. The remaining sections of the journal are designed to help the clinician synthesize the existing literature, so that they can treat their patients with an evidence-based algorithm. The Controversies in Spine Surgery section will have a single article per issue in which leaders in the field will debate a controversial topic in spine care. Additionally, each issue will have 2–3 narrative reviews that will give evidence-based guidance for the treatment of common spinal pathologies, as well as an authors’ preferred treatment algorithm. Systematic reviews published in this journal will answer clinically relevant questions and will follow the guidelines for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses described by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Surgical techniques will include both a written article and a video, and it will allow for readers of JSDT to see how the leaders of the filed perform both highly complex procedures such as pedicle subtraction osteotomies, as well as more routine procedures such as an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. In this way, the techniques section will be able to help readers of all different experience levels. Each issue will also have a small article dedicated to helping spine surgeons understand how to interpret statistics, and why differing methodology should affect the way in which research is interpreted. Lastly, each issue will have an article focused on the business of healthcare. As Editor-in-Chief, I look forward to helping transform the Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques into a journal in which readers from around the world can turn for the most up-to-date, clinically relevant articles on spine care. Sincerely, Alexander R. Vaccaro, MD, PhD Richard H. Rothman Professor and Chairman Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Professor of Neurosurgery, Co-Director Delaware Valley Spinal Cord Injury Center, Co-Chief of Spine Surgery Sidney Kimmel Medical Center at Thomas Jefferson University, President, Rothman Institute, Philadelphia, PA