Instructions for Authors

 

Tunisie Orthopédique (SOTCOT), publishes editorials, reviews, meta-analyses, surgical techniques, original articles, clinical cases, technique notes, letters to the editor, bibliographic analyses, score and classification reviews, abstracts of Tunisian articles published in indexed foreign journals and also reviews of theses, dissertations and books. Works submitted for publication in Tunisie Orthopédique must be related to pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. The journal is a biannual and bilingual publication. It includes articles written in French or in English and from all countries of the world. Articles are submitted to two readers for review. The final decision of acceptance is made by the editorial board. All articles should be sent only in electronic form through our website www.tunisieorthopedique.com . Each article must be accompanied by a letter of submission in pdf format signed by all the authors. The referee must state in the letter that the article is original and not previously published, and that it is not being submitted simultaneously to another journal.

1. SUBJECT

When submitting their manuscript, authors must specify the section in which they wish to publish: «original submission», «review», «clinical case», «technical note», «letter to the editor», «photo», «quiz».

1.1. Original submission :

It constitutes a scientific report and as such it must comply with the methodological and editorial rigor of an experimental research protocol. It brings new or complete notions, challenges or confirms known notions. In the case of clinical research, it indicates the impact of its conclusions on medical decisions, as they are likely to be the basis of recommendations for clinical practice. For experimental work, it should include a review of the clinical rationale and, if applicable, a discussion of future practical application. The original dissertation must therefore comply with international rules concerning its writing and structure (Introduction, Material and Method, Results, Discussion).

Introduction should include:

– the state of knowledge and the justification of the study

– the working hypothesis

– a precise statement of the main objective and any secondary objectives of the research, and it will be compared with the results observed.

– The statement of the methodology must systematically include the description of:

– the study material with the inclusion and exclusion criteria

– the protocol applied and the type of study (retrospective, prospective, etc.)

– the means of evaluation chosen

– the primary and secondary endpoints

– the statistical tools used

Results should be accurately and concisely stated.

Discussion:

• Reports the strengths and weaknesses of the study (type of study, cohort size, dropouts, selection bias, measurement bias, confounding bias, etc.).
• Compares the results obtained with the initial objectives to confirm or refute the initial hypothesis.
• Compares the results obtained with those in the literature.
• Makes any recommendations for practice.

The conclusion:

Restate the purpose of the work, the major outcome(s), and the recommendations that resulted from it. Avoid any comments not addressed, let alone proven by the work.

For studies conducted on humans, adherence to ethical standards required by responsible committees must be explicitly stated. Similarly, experimental work on animals must have complied with ethical rules in the field.

The thesis must be accompanied by a structured 350-word summary (Introduction - Materials and Methods - Results - Discussion). At the end of the summary, the author is required to evaluate and specify the level of evidence supporting their conclusions as it arises from the validity of the methodological choices made.

I: High-powered randomized prospective trial or meta-analysis

II: Low-powered randomized prospective trial

III: Case-control study

IV: Retrospective or historical series

V: Expert opinion

For observational studies, it is recommended that a summary sheet be added at the end of the manuscript, in accordance with the STROBE recommendations, mentioning the page of the manuscript corresponding to each item (www.strobe-statement.org).

1.2. A Review

This is a work based on an extensive critical analysis of the literature, and aims to provide an overview of a question for which the number of publications, their dispersion, or their heterogeneous nature (clinical, fundamental research, etc.) justifies a synthesis. It should not exceed 6000 words, including a summary of a maximum of 350 words.

1.3. Clinical Case

This is about observing one or more rare cases whose uniqueness must be demonstrated through a thorough study of the literature. It includes presenting the reported observation(s), followed by a discussion or commentary that demonstrates the interest and situates any new observations with respect to previously published cases. The clinical report should not exceed 1500 words, including a summary of a maximum of 350 words.

1.4. The technical note

This is intended to present a technique, instrumentation, or method of exploration that is truly new based on previous publications. When it comes to operative techniques, their value must be supported by sufficient experience. These notes are usually extensively illustrated. A technical note should not exceed 1500 words, including a summary of a maximum of 350 words.

1.5. Letter to the editor

This refers to a reader's commentary on a published article that may report a similar or contradictory experience, or provide additional bibliographic information related to the work. Its goal is to establish a dialogue between the authors and readers of the journal. It is customary to publish the commentary alongside the response from the relevant author. The commentary should be short (500 words) and precise to allow for a clear response.

1.6. Photo and Quiz

The photo should be of high quality (clinical, imaging, etc.) and should encourage the reader to think facing an unusual or rare aspect. The Quiz should ask a pertinent question, the answer to which will be found in the next issue. It should be accompanied by a short text of no more than 300 words, with no summary or key words.Photo and Quiz

2. SUBMISSION RULES

2.1. Form

The manuscript should be presented in double-spacing, Times 11 font, with margins of 2.5cm on all four sides. An original article should not exceed 25 typed pages, including tables, figures, and references. A review article should not exceed 30 typed pages, excluding tables, figures, and references. Clinical cases and technical notes should not exceed 12 typed pages, including tables, figures, and a maximum of 20 references. Letters to the editor should not exceed 3 typed pages.

2.2. Article length

The shortness of a work favors its accessibility, its reading and its understanding

The maximum number of words includes title, abstract, text, references and captions

- 3500 words for an "research article" ;

- 6000 words for a " Review "

- 1500 words for a "Clinical Case" and a "Technical Report";

- 500 words for a "Letter to the Editor";

- 300 words for “photo” or “Quiz”.

2.3. Size of abstracts

For all types of articles, a detailed abstract of no more than 350 words is required. The abstract should provide a clear, structured summary of the article's content, highlighting the main points, objectives, methodology, results and conclusions.

Papers written in French must be accompanied by an abstract in both French and English.

3. SUBMISSION PROCESS

Submissions are made exclusively on the www.tunisieorthopedique.com website.
The first step is to create an account.
You must then follow the submission process.

At least 3 files must be uploaded:

• The title page (mandatory) must include: the title in English (and French if the paper is written in French), the authors with their respective affiliations (city and country of practice), the corresponding author’s email address, and any conflicts of interest.
• The "text file" or "manuscript" (mandatory): must not contain any references to the authors or the origin of the work, in Word format with continuous line numbering (in Word: Page Layout, Line Numbers, Continuous), with a maximum size of 25 MB, including: the manuscript, the bibliographic references, and the tables and their legends, figures and their legends, following the manuscript and the bibliographic references. One page for each table and each figure.

• The submission letter signed by all the authors (mandatory)

 

3.1. The title:

It must be informative and contain no abbreviations. It is limited to 80 characters.

3.2. The abstract:

It should be concise, factual and contain the main results, with no more than 350 words. It must be structured. The origin of the work must not be mentioned. Papers written in French must be accompanied by an abstract in French and English.

3.3. The authors:

(6 maximum) and for each of them their institution, city and country of practice as well as their e-mail address.

3.4. Keywords:

Three to five keywords in English and French are chosen from the English keywords in the Medical Subject Headings of Index Medicus.

3.5. Mention any conflicts of interest.

3.6. The "text file" or "manuscript"

It must not contain any references to the authors or the origin of the work, in Word format with continuous line numbering (in Word: Page Layout, Line Numbers, Continuous), with a maximum size of 25 MB, including: the manuscript, the bibliographical references, the tables and legends of the tables, figures and legends of the figures.
The tables and table legends, figures and figure legends must appear on the text file in Word format, following the manuscript and bibliographic references. One page for each table and figure.

3.7. Tables:

All numerical data should preferably be presented in table form. For short clinical series, a summary table may show all the data for each observation. Each table should include a reference in the text. They are numbered in Roman numerals in the order in which they are first cited in the text.
If necessary, the table legend should include explanations or notes on units, abbreviations and statistical methods.

3.8. Bibliographic references:

- All references cited in the text must appear in the reference list.

- All references in this list must be cited in the text using a number in square brackets.

- All references used must be accessible to the reader, excluding personal communications, unpublished data, theses, and conference proceedings that have not been published.

- The reference list is presented at the end of the article; they are sorted and numbered in Arabic numerals in the order of appearance in the text.

- Journal titles are abbreviated according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine nomenclature.

Examples of references:

Periodical articles:

Zaraa M, Habboubi H, Teborbi A, Belcadhi Z, Bouzidi R, Mbarek M et al. La Radiographie télémétrique des membres inférieurs est elle indispensable pour l’exploration de la gonarthrose ? Etude prospective sur 60 genoux. Tun Orthop 2017; 8 : 6-9.

Supplement to a periodical:

1. Gleyze P, Clavert P, Flurin PH, Laprelle E, Katz D, Benkalfate T, et al. Management of the stiff shoulder. A prospective multicenter comparative study of the six main techniques in use: 235 cases. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 2011;97(8 Suppl):S167-81.

Book:

1. Neyret P, Demey G. Traité de chirurgie du genou. 1st ed. Paris: Elsevier Masson; 2012.
   Chapter of a book:
   1. Glick JM. Complications of hip arthroscopy by the lateral approach. In: Shermann OH, Minkoff J, editors. Current management of orthopaedics: arthroscopic surgery. Baltimore: W. Wilkins; 1990. p. 1-9.

Publication of conference proceedings:

1. Trojani C. Traumatic acromio- and sternoclavicular joint dislocation. In: Huten D, editor. Cahiers d’enseignement de la SoFCOT : conférences d’enseignement. Paris: Elsevier Masson ; 2011 [p.21-48].

Articles that are in press are cited as above, followed by the notation: In press, year of publication.

3.9. Illustrations and figures:

Figures are referred in the text by number (Arabic numerals) in the order in which they appear. They must accompany the manuscript (one figure per page). The figure legend follows the figure on a separate page.

3.10. Statistics, units, etc.

The statistical methods employed must be presented clearly to allow for the verification of reported results. Molecules, whether drugs or not, must be referred to by their International Nonproprietary Name (INN), with the trade name followed by the symbol "®" in a footnote indicating the manufacturer and their headquarters. Surgical materials and implants must be referred to by their generic name, with a footnote referring to the manufacturer's name, headquarters, and the trade name of the material, followed by the "™" symbol. Length, height, weight, and volume measurements should be in the metric system or their multiples. Temperatures should be in degrees Celsius, and blood pressures should be in millimeters of mercury. Hematological and biochemical measurements use the International System of Units. The full term precedes the abbreviation when it first appears in the text.

4. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The journal follows international practices regarding conflicts of interest related to submitted publications.

Every manuscript submission must be accompanied by a declaration of conflict of interest. A conflict of interest exists when an author and/or co-author has financial or personal relationships with other individuals or organizations that are likely to influence their professional judgments regarding an essential value (such as patient welfare, research integrity, etc.). The main conflicts of interest include financial interests, clinical trials, one-time interventions, family relationships, etc. All authors of the paper must declare all relationships who may be considered to have a potential conflict of interest,

In the event that no conflict of interest exists in connection with the submitted article, the following statement should be added directly to the manuscript: Conflict of interest: none; If there is one or more conflict(s) of interest with one or more of the authors of the article, the complete list of these conflicts must be mentioned at the end of the manuscript, before the bibliographic references and in accordance with the presentation below, with the initials of the concerned author(s) and the name of the associated company, as specified in the examples below.

Examples of conflict statements, to be included at the end of the text, under acknowledgments (if applicable):

- C.R., E.L. Financial interests in the company DIWA S.A.;

- M.D. Occasional interventions: advisory activities for SFC;

- C.G. Conferences: invitations as a speaker for KKS & Sons;

- A.D. No conflicts of interest..

If no conflict of interest related to the submitted article has been reported by the author(s) or co-author(s), the following statement will be published in the article: Conflict of interest: the authors have not reported any conflicts of interest.

5. PROGRESS OF THE MANUSCRIPT

Articles submitted for publication are first reviewed by the editor to verify compliance with the journal's recommendations (form, presentation, word count, etc.) and the absence of plagiarism. They are then subjected to the critical review of at least two anonymous expert readers: the reviewer does not know the names of the authors, and the authors do not know the name of the reviewer. The opinions expressed are gathered and compared by the editorial committee, which may:

Accept the paper as is or reject it if it does not meet the editorial standards of the journal. Under no circumstances will the Journal be bound by any manuscript sent to it before the final decision of the editorial board;

Request changes based on the editor's observations and reviewers' requests. The actual implementation of the requested corrections allows the acceptance of the article.

However, when significant and numerous changes are requested, the editorial team reserves the possibility of a new draft incorporating the data from the original work. The resulting manuscript will be subjected to the same evaluation process as a new manuscript.

6. PRODUCTION AND CORRECTION OF PROOFS

When the manuscript accepted for publication is put into production, the publisher will send each of the authors, by e-mail, a notice of the final version of the manuscript before publication and transfer of rights.

KEY POINTS

- Papers submitted for publication in Tunisie Orthopédique must be about pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

- All articles must be sent in electronic format only towww.tunisieorthopedique.com

- Each article must be accompanied by a letter of submission in pdf format signed by all authors.

- The manuscript must be presented in double-spaced Times 11 font.

- No reference to the authors or the origin of the work should appear in the text file

- The abstract, maximum 350 words long, must be concise, structured and must include the main results in figures. Papers written in French must be accompanied by an abstract in French and English.

- Keywords: Three to five keywords in English and French are chosen from the English keywords in Index Medicus' Medical Subject Headings.

- The "text file" or "manuscript" includes, in Word format with continuous line numbering (in Word: Page Layout, Line Numbers, Continuous), with a maximum size of 25 MB: the manuscript, bibliographic references, tables and table legends, figures and figure legends.

- Tables and table legends, figures and figure legends must appear on the text file in pdf format, following the manuscript and bibliographic references. One page for each table and figure.

- Tables should be numbered in Roman numerals, figures in Arabic numerals.

- References are listed and numbered in Arabic numerals, in the order in which they appear in the text. Journal titles are abbreviated according to the nomenclature of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

- Articles sent in for publication are first examined by the editor to check that they comply with the journal's recommendations (form, presentation, word count, etc.) and are free from plagiarism. They are then submitted anonymously to at least two expert readers for critical reading.

- Authors can follow the progress of their manuscript on the submission platform, as well as the reviewers' comments, enabling a dialogue between the author and the reviewer.