Journal profile · Rheumatology
Joint Bone Spine
ISSN 1297-319X · eISSN 1778-7254 · Elsevier Masson · FRANCE · Bimonthly · Founded 2000
Joint Bone Spine: CAS Zone 3 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.93; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,020; median 81 days to acceptance (104 articles, last 24 months); 177 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Joint Bone Spine is published by Elsevier Masson and is in Zone 3 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and Therapies, Spondyloarthritis Studies and Treatments and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Research, together about 35.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Rheumatology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Joint Bone Spine, a bimonthly e-only international journal, publishes original research articles and all the latest advances that deal with disorders affecting the joints, bones, and spine and, more generally, the entire field of rheumatology and rheumatic diseases.All submitted manuscripts to the journal are subjected to rigorous peer review by international experts: under no circumstances does the journal guarantee publication before the editorial board makes its final decision. (Surgical techniques and work focusing specifically on orthopedic surgery are not within the scope of the journal.)Joint Bone Spine is indexed in the main international databases and is accessible worldwide through the ScienceDirect and ClinicalKey platforms.Please note: Few articles published by Joint Bone Spine may be also translated for publication in French in the Revue du Rhumatisme (editor's choice), the official publication of the French Society of Rheumatology (SFR).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Rheumatology
Editor-in-chief Marie-Christophe Boissier INSERMPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named France 12 (12 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Research and TherapiesMedicine17.2%
- Spondyloarthritis Studies and TreatmentsMedicine12.4%
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ResearchMedicine5.7%
- Bone health and osteoporosis researchMedicine4.7%
- Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders ResearchMedicine4.4%
- Spine and Intervertebral Disc PathologyMedicine4.3%
- Osteoarthritis Treatment and MechanismsMedicine4.3%
- Gout, Hyperuricemia, Uric AcidMedicine4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Rheumatology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Rheumatology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Rheumatology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
ScienceDirect, ClinicalKeyPublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 4.93LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.05LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.07LetPub ·
- h-index
- 71LetPub ·
- h-index
- 114OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,274OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.56OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 39.09%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 83LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,592 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 112 | 38 | 8 |
| 2025 | 177 | 60 | 343 |
| 2024 | 147 | 69 | 764 |
| 2023 | 154 | 73 | 1,132 |
| 2022 | 179 | 86 | 1,587 |
| 2021 | 197 | 77 | 2,574 |
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
81 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 45 days – 118 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 10 days (105 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 93 days
- Sample
- 104 articles with submission and acceptance dates (345 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
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 30 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 67 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,020 / EUR 2,750 / GBP 2,410 / JPY 374,570 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,360 | — | — |
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
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Not considered
- submitted to another journal
Article types accepted13, with length limits
- case report80 ref., 6 tables and figures in total Case reports: 2000 words, 15 ref., 3 tables and figures in total Images: 200 words,main text ≤ 2,000 words
- case reportsDescription of one or more patients managed by the authors and whose analysis provides new information on clinical features, pathophysiological mechanisms, or b…Length not stated
- correspondenceBrief presentation as for a Letter to the Editor; the content refers to an article recently published in the journal.Length not stated
- editorialbstract, references, tables or figures. Editorials: 1800 words, 20 ref., 3 tables and figures in total Review articles: 36main text ≤ 1,800 words
- editorialsEditorials expound opinions, describe noteworthy facts, summarize prominent studies, report news, or provide perspective.Length not stated
- images in rheumatologyPresentation of a figure with a legend of 200 words at most.Length not stated
- letters to the editorBrief presentation. There is no subtitle or heading.Length not stated
- meta-analysisnd figures in total Recommendations and meta-analyses: 5000 words, 80 ref., 6 tables and figures in total Case reports: 2000main text ≤ 5,000 words
- original article60 ref., 6 tables and figures in total Original articles: 3600 words, 40 ref., 6 tables and figures in total Recommendations andmain text ≤ 3,600 words
- original articlesOriginal articles report new and original work that has not been published elsewhere (except as an abstract at a conference).Length not stated
- recommendations and meta-analysesThe journal encourages the publication of recommendations, after a pre-submission inquiry if appropriate.Length not stated
- review article20 ref., 3 tables and figures in total Review articles: 3600 words, 60 ref., 6 tables and figures in total Original articles:main text ≤ 3,600 words
- review articlesReview 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
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single 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 allowed 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 Masson
- Country or region
- FRANCE
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 2000
- ISSN
- 1297-319X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1778-7254
- Society / sponsor
- French Society of Rheumatology
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Joint Bone Spine
What CAS zone is Joint Bone Spine in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Joint Bone Spine is in Zone 3 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Rheumatology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Joint Bone Spine?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.93; CiteScore 4.7, h-index 114.
How long does peer review take at Joint Bone Spine?
Based on the dates recorded on 104 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 81 days (interquartile range 45–118 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months. 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 Joint Bone Spine?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required. 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 Joint Bone Spine based?
Of the 12 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are France (12). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Joint Bone Spine?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Joint Bone Spine is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Joint Bone Spine open access, and what is the APC?
Joint Bone Spine is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,020.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .