Journal of musculoskeletal surgery and research, the new journal

I am extremely delighted to launch this inaugural issue of the Journal of Musculoskeletal Surgery and Research (JMSR), the official scientific publication of the Saudi Orthopedic Association.

Setting the context of launching another journal in the field of musculoskeletal sciences, as we know, research in musculoskeletal domain is conducted at clinical and basic sciences levels, and it has become an emerging field in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. With the advancement of new technologies and the escalating expectations and demands from doctors and patients, we are witnessing an enormous growth in the clinical perspective of musculoskeletal research.

The overarching objective of JMSR is to promote scholarly publications in musculoskeletal sciences research and musculoskeletal training that have the potential for practical application. This publication portal also intends to provide timely, practical, and readable scientific information of the highest caliber to the surgeons, physicians, and professionals involved in the everyday musculoskeletal practice. The JMSR will provide the platform for the exchange of new clinical and scientific information in the most precise and expeditious way about diseases related to musculoskeletal sciences. To accomplish this, JMSR will present unbiased, comprehensive, and clinically relevant systematic review articles, original research studies, case reports, commentary, clinical practice guidelines, educational articles, and tips and techniques. The articles would envisage decision-making and innovative systems used for specific musculoskeletal procedures and evidence-based research medicine about surgical costs, ethical and medicolegal issues, and materials used in this discipline. Finally, JMSR will be responsive to the needs of the readers by providing opportunities for comments and inputs through Letters to the Editor column.

Peer review is the backbone of scrutinizing original research before publication and using this process, journals are an important, established, and credible means of communicating clinical trial results and other relevant scientific information to the community. They provide a searchable base of literature on which the current and future understanding of musculoskeletal research is based. Foregoing in view, the JMSR adopted the blind peer review policy and will be published quarterly as an open access journal. Accepted articles will be available online immediately after the peer review and the normal production procedures.

JMSR invites all interested musculoskeletal professionals, both practicing staff and in training residents to submit their valuable work, and the editorial team will ensure that each submitted manuscript will be given utmost attention and preparation. JMSR also welcomes experienced musculoskeletal professionals to volunteer for the peer review process in their area of expertise and help the journal in its journey to attain international recognition and excellence.

The JMSR is bestowed with excellent board members with enormous experience from across the world with the spirit to help start the journal and assure that the journal is born standing on stable ground. JMSR will ensure commitment to ethical principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, and World Association of Medical Editors.

I hope the readers will find the journal valuable to foster their intriguing interest, knowledge, and understanding; the journal's office welcomes their feedback for further refinement. The editorial team hopes this journal will be a new landmark in the history of musculoskeletal practice in the MENA region and a further expansion in the international community.

I am overwhelmingly obliged to the current and past boards of the Saudi Orthopedic Association for their cooperation that materialized the existence of this journal, a truly daunting and tedious task. A special thanks to the current president of the Saudi Orthopedic Association, Dr. Abdulaziz Alomar, who helped getting this dream into reality.

The editorial board would like to acknowledge the internationally recognized publishing house of the Journal - Wolters Kluwer/Medknow - for their outstanding motivation and cooperation.