Get your European Spine Journal paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.3
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 11 August, 2026
Submitting to European Spine Journal goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the European Spine Journal guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to European Spine Journal. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the European Spine Journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the European Spine Journal guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the European Spine Journal guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's submission system.
| Element | European Spine J requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Structured abstract of 150 to 250 words divided into: Purpose (stating the main purposes and research question), Methods, Results, Conclusion. Note: For systematic reviews and original research articles, abstract length can be increased from 250-word limit (to up to 450 words) if the topic dictates and to allow full compliance with relevant reporting guidelines. For life science journals (when applicable): Trial registration number and date of registration should be included |
| Main text | By article type: Original articles: 2,500 words (abstract: 150-250 words, references: 25); Review articles/meta-analysis: 3,500 words (abstract required, references: 50-70); Case Reports: 1,500 words (abstract no longer than 350 words, 15 references, 5 images/drawings, 2 figures/tables), structured as Introduction, Case Presentation, Discussion, Conclusion, (optional) Patient Perspective. Methods section must start with clear hypothesis; statistical methods must be described; focus on minimal clinically important difference; clear conclusions reflecting study results required |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 4 to 6 keywords for indexing purposes |
| References | Numbered citation style in square brackets (e.g., [1], [1-3, 7]). Reference list numbered consecutively as cited in text. Format: author names (or et al for long lists), year, title, journal abbreviation (per ISSN LTWA), volume:pages, DOI. Limits by article type: Original articles: 25 references; Review articles/meta-analysis: 50 to 70 references; Case Reports: 15 references |
| Peer review | Double-blind (double-anonymous) peer review |
| Submission | submission.springernature.com/new-submission/586/3 |
Read the European Spine Journal guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to European Spine Journal in under a page.
Skim two or three recent European Spine J papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the European Spine Journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the European Spine Journal guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.