ISSN 2176-7521 printed version
ISSN 1413-7852 english printed version
ISSN 1809-4406 online version

INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

• Scope and policy
• Manuscripts' form and presentation
• The sending of manuscripts

The Acta Ortopédica Brasileira Journal, an Official Body of the Brazilian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology - São Paulo Region, is published in 5 issues annually, in Portuguese and English versions, as printed or online copies, and distributed to orthopaedic doctors and major institutions in Brazil. The journal follows harmonization requirements recommended by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (www.icmje.org.br). For approval, articles are submitted to reviewers’ evaluation (peer review), who receive texts anonymously and decide on its publication, suggest changes, request explanations to authors and provide recommendations to the Editor in Chief.

Acta Ortopédica Brasileira fully complies with the international trend of the Vancouver style, available at (www.icmje.org.br). In advance, we appreciate the collaboration of the authors for complying with mentioned changes.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Manuscripts delivered shall be in accordance to PC standards, in TXT or DOC files, with hard copies in official paper, double space, with wide margin, being the author responsible for delivering three copies and the correspondent recorded disk (or CD) containing the manuscript, letter of authorization for publication, and a letter from the institution to which the study is attributed. Please, assure that the manuscript is integrally in accordance to instructions.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

According to requirements by the International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE), Vancouver group and resolution nr. 1595/2000 by Federal Medicine Council, authors are liable to recognize and state any conflicts of financial and other (business, personal, political, etc) interests involved in the article to be published. They must state and may acknowledge all received financial support on manuscripts, as well as other bonds involved in its development.

ELECTRONIC FILE ORGANIZATION

All parts of the manuscript must be included in a single file. This file must be organized to contain a cover page first, then the text followed by figures (with labels) and, at the end, tables and charts (with labels).

COVER PAGE

The cover page must exhibit:

a) title of the article, which must be short but informative.
b) names of the authors (FULL NAME) along with corresponding highest academic title and institutional affiliation.
c) name of the department and institution to which the study shall be attributed.
d) name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the author responsible for correspondences.

SUMMARY AND KEYWORDS

The Summary may be structured in cases of original articles and must clearly describe the study's objectives, background data, methods, results and main conclusions in English and Portuguese, and shall not exceed 200 words. It must contain key words based on Descritores de Ciências da Saúde (DeCS) - http://decs.bireme. br. In English, the keywords must be based on Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2006/MB_cgi, with at least 3 and at most 6 references.

INTRODUCTION

Here, the subject and objective of the study must be exhibited, providing references, but not making an external review of the matter.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It must describe the experiment (quantity and quality) and the procedures in sufficient details allowing other researchers to reproduce the results or to continue the study.

When reporting experiments on human and animals themes, please indicate if the procedures have complied with the rules of the Committee on Ethics in Human Experiments of the Institution in which the research has been performed, or if it is in accordance to the Declaration of Helsinki, of 1995, and to the Animal Experimentation Ethics, respectively.

To precisely identify all drugs and chemical substances used, including generic names, dosages and administration routes.

Please, do not use patients. names, initials or hospital files. To provide references for statistical procedures establishment.

Charts and tables must be sequentially numbered (in Arabic numbers), according to the order in which they have been mentioned in the text, and to present a brief heading. Abbreviations not standardized must be justified in a footnote.

Figures must also be sequentially numbered using Arabic numbers.

Labels must be exhibited below the figure.

Magnitudes, units and symbols may obey international rules, or, in the absence of those, to correspondent national rules.

Photographs shall be delivered in bright paper, clearly indicating its position, and the drawings must be made with Indian ink. On the back of the photograph, it must be included the file name, author's name, and number indicating its sequential order. In case photographs are sent as an electronic file, they shall be provided in high-resolution format (300 dpi) and in a minimal width of 10 cm.

When delivered illustrations have already been published anywhere else, please indicate in the text and mention the authorization to publish them.

Illustrations labels shall be numbered and made in a separate sheet of paper.

Monochromatic photographs shall be reproduced with no costs, but the publisher reserves the right to determine a reasonable limit to their amount, or to charge the author for the expenses incurred due to the excessive amount. Color photographs shall be charged.

RESULTS

To present the results in a logical sequence on the text, by using tables and illustrations. Please, do not repeat all data exhibited on tables and/ or illustrations. In the text, emphasize or summarize only important findings.

DISCUSSION

To emphasize new and important aspects of the study. Previously published methods must be compared to the current one in order to avoid repeated results.

CONCLUSION

It must be clear and brief, and must establish a connection between the conclusion and the objectives of the study. Please, avoid conclusions that are not based on data.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Acknowledgements must be done only to those individuals who substantially contributed to the study. The authors are responsible for obtaining a written consent from all the individuals receiving nominal acknowledgements, once readers could infer that those people might corroborate data and conclusions.

REFERENCES

References: To mention up to approximately 20 references, strictly related to the essential bibliography to article's content.

To consecutively number references, as they first appear in the text, using Arabic numbers superscripted and in parenthesis.

Please, include the first 6 authors followed by et al. Journal names must be abbreviated according to the Index Medicus.

a) Articles: Author(s). Article heading. Journal name. year; volume: initial page - final page.

Ex.: Campbell CJ. The healing of cartilage defects. Clin Orhtop. 1969; 64:45-63.

b) Books: Author(s) or Publisher(s). Book title. Edition, if other than the first one. Translator(s), if applicable. Publication site: publisher; year.

Ex.: Diener HC, Wilkinson M, editors. Drug-induced headache. 2nd ed. New York: Spriger-Verlag; 1996.

c) Books chapters: Author(s) of the chapter. Chapter heading. Publisher(s) of the book and other related data, according to previous item.

Ex.: Chapman MW, Olson SA. Open fractures. In: Rockwood CA, Green DP.

Fractures in adults. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1996. p.305-52.

d) Summaries: Author(s). Title, followed by [abstr]. Journal year; volume (supplement and correspondent number, if applicable): page(s)

Ex.: Enzensberger W, Fisher PA. Metronome in Parkinson's disease [abstract]. Lancet 1996; 34:1337.

e) Personal communications must only be mentioned in the text if within parenthesis

f) Thesis: Author, title (master, PhD etc.), city: institution; year.

Ex.: Kaplan SJ. Post-hospital home health care: the elderly's access and utilization [dissertation]. St. Louis: Washington Univ.; 1995.

g) Electronic material: Title of the document, Internet address, date and time of access.

Ex: Morse SS. Factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis [serial online] 1995 Jan-Mar [cited 1996 Jun 5];1(1):[24 screens]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/eid.htm

CATEGORY

The author him/herself shall indicate if the text belongs to one of the categories below:

a) original article
b) review article
c) update article
d) case report

REPRODUCTION

Only Acta Ortopédica Brasileira may authorize the reproduction of articles published in the Journal. Omission cases shall be solved by Revista Acta Ortopédica Brasileira's Board of Directors.

Delivered articles will become property of Acta Ortopédica Brasileira.

Acta Ortopédica Brasileira is published as 5 issues annually.

INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Manuscripts delivered shall be in accordance to PC standards, in TXT or DOC files, with double space, wide margins, being the author responsible for including a authorization letter for the publication and of the institution to which the paper is attributed.

Please, assure that the manuscript is integrally in accordance to instructions.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

According to requirements by the International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE), Vancouver group and resolution nr. 1595/2000 by the Federal Medicine Council, authors are liable to report and state any conflicts of financial and other (business, personal, political, etc) interests involved in the article to be published. They must state and may acknowledge all received financial support on manuscripts, as well as other bonds involved in its development.

ELECTRONIC FILE ORGANIZATION

All parts of the manuscript must be included in a single file. This file must be organized to contain a cover page first, then the text followed by figures (with labels) and, at the end, tables and charts (with labels).

COVER PAGE

The cover page must exhibit:

a) title of the article, which must be short but informative.

b) names of the authors (FULL NAME) along with corresponding highest academic title and institutional affiliation.

c) name of the department and institution to which the study shall be attributed.

d) name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the author responsible for correspondences.

SUMMARY AND KEYWORDS

The Summary may be structured in cases of original articles and must clearly describe the study’s objectives, background data, methods, results and main conclusions in English and Portuguese, and shall not exceed 200 words. It must contain key words based on Descritores de Ciências da Saúde (DeCS) - http://decs.bireme.br. In English, the keywords must be based on Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/mesh/2006/MB_cgi, with at least 3 and at most 6 references.

INTRODUCTION

Here, the subject and objective of the study must be exhibited, providing references, but not making an external review of the matter.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It must describe the experiment (quantity and quality) and the procedures in sufficient details

allowing other researchers to reproduce the results or to continue the study.

When reporting experiments on human and animals themes, please indicate if the procedures

have complied with the rules of the Committee on Ethics in Human Experiments of the Institution in which the research has been performed, or if it is in accordance to the Declaration of Helsinki, of 1995, and to the Animal Experimentation Ethics, respectively.

To precisely identify all drugs and chemical substances used, including generic names, dosages and administration routes. Please, do not use patients’ names, initials or hospital files. To provide references for statistical procedures establishment.

Charts and tables must be sequentially numbered (in Arabic numbers), according to the order

in which they have been mentioned in the text, and to present a brief heading. Abbreviations

not standardized must be justified in a footnote.

Figures must also be sequentially numbered using Arabic numbers. Labels must be exhibited

below the figure.

Magnitudes, units and symbols may obey international rules, or, in the absence of those, to correspondent national rules.

Photographs shall be delivered in bright paper, clearly indicating its position, and the drawings must be made with Indian ink. On the back of the photograph, it must be included the file name, author’s name, and number indicating its sequential order. In case photographs are sent as an electronic file, they shall be provided in high-resolution format (300 dpi) and in a minimal width of 10 cm.

When delivered illustrations have already been published anywhere else, please indicate in the text and mention the authorization to publish them. Illustrations labels shall be numbered and made in a separate sheet of paper.

Monochromatic photographs shall be reproduced with no costs, but the publisher reserves the right to determine a reasonable limit to their amount, or to charge the author for the expenses incurred due to the excessive amount. Color photographs shall be charged.

RESULTS

To present the results in a logical sequence on the text, by using tables and illustrations. Please, do not repeat all data exhibited on tables and/ or illustrations. In the text, emphasize or summarize only important findings.

DISCUSSION

To emphasize new and important aspects of the study. Previously published methods must be compared to the current one in order to avoid repeated results.

CONCLUSION

It must be clear and brief, and must establish a connection between the conclusion and the objectives of the study. Please, avoid conclusions that are not based on data.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Acknowledgements must be done only to those individuals who substantially contributed to the study. The authors are responsible for obtaining a written consent from all the individuals receiving nominal acknowledgements, once readers could infer that those people might corroborate data and conclusions.

REFERENCES

References: To mention up to approximately 20 references, strictly related to the essential bibliography to article’s content.

To consecutively number references, as they first appear in the text, using Arabic numbers superscripted and in parenthesis. Please, include the first 6 authors followed by et al.

Journal names must be abbreviated according to the Index Medicus.

a) Articles: Author(s). Article heading. Journal name. year; volume: initial page – final page.
Ex.: Campbell CJ. The healing of cartilage defects. Clin Orhtop. 1969; 64:45-63.

b) Books: Author(s) or Publisher(s). Book title. Edition, if other than the first one. Translator(s), if applicable. Publication site: publisher; year.
Ex.: Diener HC, Wilkinson M, editors. Drug-induced headache. 2nd ed. New York: Spriger-Verlag; 1996.

c) Books chapters: Author(s) of the chapter. Chapter heading. Publisher(s) of the book and other related data, according to previous item.
Ex.: Chapman MW, Olson SA. Open fractures. In: Rockwood CA, Green DP. Fractures in adults. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1996. p.305-52.

d) Summaries: Author(s). Title, followed by [abstr]. Journal year; volume (supplement and correspondent number, if applicable): page(s)
Ex.: Enzensberger W, Fisher PA. Metronome in Parkinson’s disease [abstract]. Lancet 1996; 34:1337.

e) Personal communications must only be mentioned in the text if within parenthesis

f) Thesis: Author, title (master, PhD etc.), city: institution; year.
Ex.: Kaplan SJ. Post-hospital home health care: the elderly’s access and utilization [dissertation]. St. Louis: Washington Univ.; 1995.

g) Electronic material: Title of the document, Internet address, date and time of access.
Ex: Morse SS. Factors in the emergence of infectious diseases. Emerg Infect Dis [serial online]

1995 Jan-Mar [cited 1996 Jun 5];1(1):[24 screens]. Available from: URL: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/eid.htm

CATEGORY

The author him/herself shall indicate if the text belongs to one of the categories below:

a) original article

b) review article

c) update article

d) case report

REPRODUCTION

Only Acta Ortopédica Brasileira may authorize the reproduction of articles published in the Journal. Omission cases shall be solved by Revista Acta Ortopédica Brasileira’s Board of Directors. Delivered articles will become property of Acta Ortopédica Brasileira.

Acta Ortopédica Brasileira is published as 5 issues annually.

SUBMISSION OF ARTICLES

As of January, 2009 the we started the process of adopting the SciELO System for On-Line

Publication and Submission.

The home page of the system can be accessed at:

http://submission.scielo.br/index.php/aob/index, following the instructions for articles filing and inclusion comprised on the system.

Should you need additional information, please contact Fernanda Colmatti at the telephone number 55 11  5087-9502 or  e-mail: contato@actaortopedica.com.br