Journal profile · Medicine-Surgery
Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation
ISSN 2468-1229 · eISSN 2468-1210 · Elsevier BV · FRANCE
Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.57; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,140; median 65 days to acceptance (86 articles, last 24 months); 371 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation is published by Elsevier BV and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Elbow and Forearm Trauma Treatment and Peripheral Nerve Disorders, together about 49.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Surgery. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Hand Surgery and Rehabilitation is a hybrid journal that publishes original articles, literature reviews, technical notes, case reports, and letters to the editor related to hand diseases. Traumatic, degenerative, tumoral, and neurological pathologies, as well as hand rehabilitation, are thoroughly covered. The journal also highlights the latest innovations, including next-generation implants, ultrasound-guided surgery, surgery under WALANT (Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet), and the use of artificial intelligence.In addition to six regular issues per year, the journal publishes a biennial supplement dedicated to updating knowledge on a specific pathology. It engages leading specialists to comprehensively address all aspects of conditions related to hand surgery.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Medicine-Surgery
Editor-in-chief Nicolas DreantPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named France 22, Switzerland 7, Belgium 7, United States 3 (39 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Orthopedic Surgery and RehabilitationMedicine31%
- Elbow and Forearm Trauma TreatmentMedicine10%
- Peripheral Nerve DisordersMedicine8.8%
- Nerve Injury and RehabilitationMedicine6.2%
- Shoulder Injury and TreatmentMedicine5.2%
- Reconstructive Surgery and Microvascular TechniquesMedicine4.3%
- Shoulder and Clavicle InjuriesMedicine4.3%
- Bone fractures and treatmentsMedicine3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Orthopedics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Orthopedics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Orthopedics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 1.57LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.51LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1LetPub ·
- h-index
- 25LetPub ·
- h-index
- 31OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 270OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.86OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 18.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 21.74%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 109LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,501 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 149 | 33 | 21 |
| 2025 | 371 | 64 | 247 |
| 2024 | 391 | 59 | 519 |
| 2023 | 340 | 50 | 453 |
| 2022 | 348 | 40 | 519 |
| 2021 | 510 | 76 | 1,276 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
65 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 24 days – 92 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 7 days (86 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 74 days
- Sample
- 86 articles with submission and acceptance dates (333 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 33 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 41 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,140 / EUR 2,860 / GBP 2,510 / JPY 389,450 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,290 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 1
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted14, with length limits
- case reportreferences 6 tables and figures (total) Case report 2000 words / 12000 characters, spaces included Title, keywords, abstramain text ≤ 2,000 words
- correspondenceCorrespondence. Brief presentation as for a Letter to the Editor; it can be or a comment on an article published recently in the journal.Length not stated
- editorialThe authors should indicate the category of their manuscript as a numbered Word file (PDF format is not allowed for text and tables). However, the Editorial Boa…main text ≤ 1,800 words
- hand surgery videosHand Surgery Videos. Authors wishing to contribute to this column must submit their video via the electronic submission website, accompanied by a short manuscri…Length not stated
- letter to the editor and case reportsLetter to the Editor and Case reports. Description of one or more patients managed by the authors and whose analysis provides new information on clinical featur…Length not stated
- meta-analysisThe authors should indicate the category of their manuscript as a numbered Word file (PDF format is not allowed for text and tables). However, the Editorial Boa…main text ≤ 3,600 words
- original articleThe authors should indicate the category of their manuscript as a numbered Word file (PDF format is not allowed for text and tables). However, the Editorial Boa…main text ≤ 3,600 words
- recommendations and meta-analysisRecommendations and meta-analysis. The journal encourages the publication of recommendations, after a pre-submission inquiry if appropriate.Length not stated
- reviewThe authors should indicate the category of their manuscript as a numbered Word file (PDF format is not allowed for text and tables). However, the Editorial Boa…Length not stated
- review articleThe authors should indicate the category of their manuscript as a numbered Word file (PDF format is not allowed for text and tables). However, the Editorial Boa…Length not stated
- review of books and mediasReview of books and medias. We publish reviews of books and other media that will enlarge a reader's perspective even beyond specialty core knowledge and techni…Length not stated
- special issueSpecial Issue. These are articles commissioned by the Special Issue editor. They follow the same writing rules as original articles, and the same editorial proc…Length not stated
- surgical techniqueSurgical Technique. Provides step-by-step details of various surgical procedures relevant to clinical practice.Length not stated
- teaching conferenceTeaching conference. Those review articles either provide a comprehensive discussion of available knowledge or an update of recent data about a specific topic. …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Country or region
- FRANCE
- Language
- Multi-Language
- ISSN
- 2468-1229
- Electronic ISSN
- 2468-1210
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation
What CAS zone is Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Orthopedics / Surgery. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.57; CiteScore 2, h-index 31.
How long does peer review take at Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation?
Based on the dates recorded on 86 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 65 days (interquartile range 24–92 days). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation based?
Of the 39 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are France (22), Switzerland (7) and Belgium (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation open access, and what is the APC?
Hand Surgery & Rehabilitation is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,140.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .