Manuscript Templates
Pre-styled Word templates and worked examples for every OSCRSJ article type, plus the canonical patient consent and IRB approval statements, format requirements, and submission file checklist.
Start here
OSCRSJ accepts manuscripts in standard journal-submission format: Times New Roman 12pt, all black, no bold or underline, double-spaced, with continuous line numbering. Use the article-type-matched template below — it has the structure, section headings, and word-count placeholders already laid out, so you can focus on the science.
Every submission needs a Title Page (with author info), a blinded manuscript (using the template that matches your article type), a Tables.docx if you have tables, and each figure as a separate image file. No author info appears in the manuscript file itself — that is the standard for blinded peer review.
What to Upload
A typical submission consists of these files. Your specific submission may include some or all depending on your article type.
Title Page
oscrsj-title-page.docx
Manuscript title, author byline with affiliations, disclosures (Funding, Conflicts of Interest, Acknowledgements), and the corresponding author block (name, address, email, phone). This is the only file that contains author-identifying information.
Manuscript (blinded)
oscrsj-template-{article-type}.docx
The blinded manuscript. Begins at the Abstract; contains no author names or affiliations. Use the article-type-matched template from the matrix below.
Tables
oscrsj-tables-template.docx
A single Word document containing every table in your manuscript, one table per page. Skip if your manuscript contains no tables.
Figures
Figure_1.tiff, Figure_2.png, …
Each figure as a separate high-resolution image file (TIFF, PNG, or JPEG; minimum 300 DPI). Use the file naming pattern Figure_1, Figure_2, etc.
Reporting Checklist
CARE-checklist.pdf · JBI-checklist.pdf · PRISMA-checklist.pdf · SANRA-self-rating.pdf
CARE checklist for case reports; JBI critical appraisal checklist for case series; PRISMA 2020 checklist for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. All three are mandatory for their respective article types. Submit as a supplementary file. SANRA self-rating is mandatory for narrative reviews.
Cover Letter
cover-letter.docx
A brief cover letter to the editor describing the article type, why the case is novel or instructive, that the work is original and not under review elsewhere, and any prior conference presentations.
Reporting Checklists
EQUATOR-mandated reporting tools. CARE is required for every Case Report; JBI Case Series is required for every Case Series; PRISMA 2020 is required for every Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis; SANRA Self-Rating is required for every Narrative Review. Complete the checklist matching your article type and upload the filled-in document at Step 2 of the submission portal — it is a hard gate on Submit for Case Reports and Case Series, and is required policy for Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses and Narrative Reviews (portal hard-gates forthcoming).
For Case Reports
CARE Checklist
CAse REport reporting guidelines (2013) · 13 reporting items
Forces systematic reporting of patient information, clinical findings, timeline, diagnostic assessment, intervention, follow-up, outcomes, patient perspective, and informed consent. The de facto standard across medical case-report publishing.
Download CARE Checklist (.pdf)Source: care-statement.org
For Case Series
JBI Case Series Checklist
Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case Series (2017) · 10 appraisal items
Covers inclusion criteria, valid measurement of the condition, consecutive and complete patient inclusion, demographic and clinical reporting, outcome measurement, follow-up duration, and statistical analysis. The canonical critical-appraisal tool for case series.
Download JBI Checklist (.pdf)Source: jbi.global
For Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
PRISMA 2020 Checklist
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (2020) · 27 reporting items
The international standard for transparent reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses — covers protocol registration, eligibility criteria, search strategy, study selection, data extraction, risk-of-bias assessment, synthesis methods, and reporting of results. Required for every Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis submission.
Download PRISMA Checklist (.pdf)Source: prisma-statement.org · CC BY 4.0
For Narrative Reviews
SANRA Self-Rating
Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (Baethge 2019) · 6 items × 0–2 scale (12 max)
Forces the author to self-rate the review against six quality items — importance, statement of aims, description of literature search, referencing, scientific reasoning, and appropriate presentation of data. Submissions scoring below 8/12 are returned for revision before peer review. Required for every Narrative Review submission.
Download SANRA Self-Rating (.pdf)Source: PMC6434870 (Baethge 2019) · CC BY 4.0
Revision Resources
For authors responding to a Minor or Major Revisions decision. Every revision must include a Response to Reviewers document AND a tracked-changes manuscript with edits in red and yellow highlight.
How to structure your Response to Reviewers document
Prepare a single Word document (.docx) that addresses every reviewer comment one by one, in the order the reviewers raised them. Group the document by reviewer — Reviewer 1, Reviewer 2, etc. — and work through every comment from that reviewer before moving on. For each comment, use three labelled lines exactly as shown below. Required upload in Step 2 of the revision wizard.
Comment: Response: Changes:
- Comment: quote the reviewer’s comment verbatim.
- Response: your reply to the reviewer — agreement, disagreement, clarification, or explanation.
- Changes: describe the specific change you made to the manuscript and cite the line numbers in the revised manuscript where the change appears. If you decline to make a change, write “No change” here and explain why under Response:.
How to format your tracked-changes manuscript
In your revised manuscript file, set every changed or added word to RED font with a YELLOW highlight. The editor must be able to see at a glance which lines you modified. Save this as a separate file from your clean revised manuscript.
Templates by Article Type
Each article type has a matched template (empty structure with placeholders) and a complete worked example (the same structure populated with realistic content). Download both — read the example first to see what good looks like, then author against the template.
Case Report
1–3 patients · 2,000 words · CARE checklist
A detailed account of one to three patients with a novel, rare, or instructive orthopedic case. Structured abstract: Introduction · Case Presentation · Discussion · Conclusion.
Case Series
4+ patients · 3,000 words · JBI checklist
Four or more patients with a similar diagnosis, treatment, or outcome. Structured abstract: Background · Methods · Results · Discussion · Conclusion.
Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis
Evidence synthesis · 3,500 words · PRISMA 2020 mandatory
A systematic review or meta-analysis on a focused clinical question in orthopedic surgery, conducted with a pre-defined search strategy, transparent eligibility criteria, and (for meta-analyses) quantitative pooling of effect estimates. Structured abstract: Background · Methods · Results · Conclusion.
Narrative Review
Expert synthesis · 4,000 words · SANRA scored
A structured expert synthesis of the orthopedic literature on a defined topic. Authored against the SANRA quality framework, with a mandatory Scope and Search statement. Standard track requires a senior author; Mentored Review track is open to trainee-led submissions paired with an OSCRSJ Section Editor as co-author and mentor. Structured abstract: Background · Scope · Findings · Conclusion.
Surgical Technique
Step-by-step · 1,500 words · video encouraged
A new, modified, or improved operative technique with step-by-step description and intraoperative figures. Unstructured 200-word abstract.
Images in Orthopedics
Image-driven · 500 words · expedited 7–10 days
A brief, image-focused article presenting one or more striking clinical, radiographic, or intraoperative images with a concise clinical description and teaching point. No abstract.
Letter to the Editor
Commentary · 600 words
A brief commentary on a previously published OSCRSJ article. Reference the discussed article by DOI; state the point of agreement or disagreement with supporting evidence. No formal section headings.
Templates encode the format requirements as Word styles. The blinded manuscript begins on page 1 with the Abstract — there is no title or author block in the manuscript file (those live on the separate Title Page).
How to Handle Figures and Tables
Figures and tables do NOT live inside the manuscript .docx. They are submitted as separate files. The manuscript file contains placement callouts and figure legends only.
Figures
- · Submit each figure as a separate image file:
Figure_1.tiff,Figure_2.png, etc. - · Accepted formats: TIFF, PNG, or JPEG.
- · Minimum 300 DPI; 600 DPI strongly recommended.
- · Remove all patient identifiers; mask faces unless explicit consent is provided.
- · Use arrows or annotations to highlight key pathology.
- · In the manuscript, mark placement with
[Insert Figure 1 here]at the relevant point in the text. - · Add the figure legend in the Figure Legends section at the end of the manuscript.
Tables
- · Submit all tables in a single
Tables.docxfile. - · One table per page, with the caption on the line above each table.
- · Real Word tables only — never rasterized images.
- · No nested tables. Single-level only.
- · In the manuscript, mark placement with
[Insert Table 1 here]at the relevant point in the text. - · Use the Tables template as your starting point.
Patient Consent Statements
Every case-based article requires a patient consent statement. Pick the variant that matches your patient situation and copy the verbatim text into your manuscript at the appropriate location (typically near the end of the Case Presentation section, or in the Methods of a case series). Do not paraphrase — the editorial office and indexing bodies expect the canonical wording.
A. Competent adult patient
Use when the patient is a living adult who can give written informed consent on their own behalf.
Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the consent form is available on request.
B. Pediatric patient (parent or legal guardian)
Use when the patient is a minor and consent has been obtained from the parent or legal guardian.
Written informed consent for publication of this case report and any accompanying images was obtained from the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the minor patient. Age-appropriate assent was obtained from the patient where developmentally feasible. A copy of the consent form is available on request.
C. Deceased patient (next of kin)
Use when the patient is deceased and consent has been obtained from the next of kin.
The patient described in this case report is deceased. Written informed consent for publication of this case report and any accompanying images was obtained from the patient’s next of kin. A copy of the consent form is available on request.
D. Verbal consent witnessed (unusual circumstances)
Use only when written consent cannot be obtained and verbal consent was witnessed by a member of the clinical team. Approval from the institution’s research ethics committee is required.
Written consent for publication could not be obtained; verbal consent was obtained from the patient and witnessed by a member of the clinical team. All identifying features have been removed from the case description and accompanying images. The decision to proceed under verbal consent was reviewed and approved by the institution’s research ethics committee.
E. IRB waiver of consent
Use when a formal waiver of informed consent has been granted by an Institutional Review Board.
A formal waiver of informed consent was granted by the Institutional Review Board of [INSTITUTION] (protocol number [IRB-####]) under 45 CFR 46.116(f) because [WAIVER RATIONALE]. All identifying features have been removed from the case description and accompanying images.
IRB / Ethics Approval Statements
Every case-based article requires an IRB / ethics approval statement. Pick the branch that matches your institution’s determination and copy the verbatim text into your manuscript (typically in the Methods section of a case series, or near the patient consent statement of a case report).
A. IRB approval obtained
Use when your institution’s IRB has reviewed and approved the case report or series.
This case report was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of [INSTITUTION] (protocol number [IRB-####]). Written informed consent was obtained from the patient(s) as described above.
B. IRB exempt or not required
Use when your institution exempts single-patient case reports from formal IRB review. Cite the specific institutional policy or exemption category.
Institutional Review Board approval was not required for this case report per [INSTITUTION] policy ([SINGLE-PATIENT CASE REPORT / DE-IDENTIFIED / OTHER EXEMPTION RATIONALE — cite the specific institutional policy or category, e.g., "Category 4 exemption per 45 CFR 46.104(d)(4)"]). Written informed consent was obtained from the patient(s) as described above.
Publication License
All articles published in OSCRSJ are released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). The license clause is added to your article by the editorial office at publication — you do not need to include it in your manuscript file.
For your reference, the published license clause reads:
© YYYY The Author(s). Published by OSCRSJ.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Need the full author guidelines?
Detailed article-type specs, ethics requirements, cover-letter checklist, and review timeline.