It is highly recommended that all authors read the presentation on 'How to write a better abstract' prior to submitting their abstract.
Abstract submissions will be accepted online ONLY through the SUBMIT ABSTRACT button, or at www.spinesociety.org.au.
Papers selected should be suitable for a 10 minute presentation with an additional allocation of 5 minutes for questions & answers.
Abstracts submitted for oral and poster presentation may be accepted as a full length oral presentation or as a short oral presentation in the poster session of the program. This will be a 5 minute oral presentation using no more then 8 slides including the title slide.
Please return abstracts no later than 1700 EST on Friday 11 January 2008. Abstracts received after this date will not be accepted. Please note all selected presenters must register for the conference to be eligible to present. The conference committee regrets that it is unable to meet any travel or reimbursement of expenses incurred.
All abstract submissions will be judged by the Scientific Program Committee. Authors may be provided with an opportunity to revise abstracts, prior to a final decision regarding acceptance. Authors who submitted abstracts for oral presentation may be offered poster presentations.
Authors will be notified by email of the committee's decision regarding the need for revision by Monday 28 January 2008. Revisions, if requested must be returned to the Editorial Secretary by 1700 EST on Friday 8 February 2008. Authors will be notified of abstract acceptance by Monday 18 February 2008.
Submission of your abstract implies your consent to the abstract, if accepted, being published in the Orthopaedic Publication Supplement of the JBJS (B) and on the SSA website.
The abstract should provide sufficient information to allow the reader to fully assess the aims, methods, results and implications of the work undertaken. The abstract should include the following sections:
It is important that methods and results are clearly defined in the abstract; therefore, general statements such as "results will be presented" are not acceptable. When a procedure or method is stated to have "advantages," those advantages should be defined. Abstracts that simply summarise results without defining objectives and methods are equally undesirable.
Abstracts will be limited to no more than 550 words.
Figures and tables will not be accepted. Abstracts will be accepted as non formatted text only. Any tables should be converted to descriptive text.
Minimise the number of references References are to be assigned a number after the appropriate detail. As an example: Jones (1), technique (2-4, 6) List references at the end of the abstract according to the style- 1. Author, A.N. and Other, A.N., Title of Paper, Journal, vol: pp-pp, year
The Spine Society of Australia is committed to providing a transparent statement of interest (financial or otherwise) that an author may have. All papers will be selected for presentation on academic merit only and the reviewers will not have access to the statement of interest. The statement of interest will be used to produce a standard format slide which must be the second slide of an author's presentation. Details of the statement of interest can be found on the abstract submission website.
| Friday 11 January 2008 | Closing date for receipt of abstracts |
| Friday 14 March 2008 | Closing date for Early Registration fee |
| Monday 18 February 2008 | Confirmation of abstract acceptance forwarded |