Journal profile · Medicine-Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
SA Orthopaedic Journal
ISSN 1681-150X · eISSN 2309-8309 · MedPharm Publications · South Africa
SA Orthopaedic Journal: diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 6 weeks (community reports); 30 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
SA Orthopaedic Journal is published by MedPharm Publications. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Bone fractures and treatments, Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation and Orthopaedic implants and arthroplasty, together about 30.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Surgery. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The South African Orthopaedic Journal (SAOJ), also known as the SA Orthopaedic Journal (SA Orthop J), is the official journal of the South African Orthopaedic Association (SAOA). It is a non-profit, peer-reviewed scientific publication. The objectives of the Association include the advancement of the science and art of Orthopaedic Surgery in South Africa and the SAOJ serves to fulfil this objective. The South African Orthopaedic Journal was established by the SAOA in 2002 under the editorship of Prof R Grabe. It was the first peer-reviewed orthopaedic journal published on the continent of Africa. An online platform was added following the journal's acceptance to the Academy of Sciences of South Africa. The aim of the South African Orthopaedic Journal is to serve as a platform for the publication of original scientific research and the advancement of knowledge in the field of orthopaedic surgery and related sub-disciplines in South Africa. While the emphasis is placed on the South African perspective and relevance to orthopaedic surgeons in a developing world setting, we strive to maintain an international audience. Furthermore, the SAOJ aims to disseminate orthopaedic knowledge in order to keep orthopaedic surgeons and related healthcare providers abreast of the local and international developments in orthopaedics. The scope of publication encompasses all orthopaedic surgery sub-disciplines, including paediatric orthopaedics, hip, knee, tumour and sepsis, spine, shoulder and elbow, foot and ankle and hand surgery. In addition, the journal addresses the subjects of orthopaedic service delivery, teaching, training and research.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Medicine-Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Editor-in-chief Megan O'ConnorPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named South Africa 37, United States 3, United Kingdom 2, Canada 1 (43 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Bone fractures and treatmentsMedicine16.9%
- Orthopedic Surgery and RehabilitationMedicine7%
- Orthopaedic implants and arthroplastyMedicine6.7%
- Orthopedic Infections and TreatmentsMedicine6.1%
- Total Knee Arthroplasty OutcomesMedicine4.6%
- Spinal Fractures and Fixation TechniquesMedicine4.6%
- Foot and Ankle SurgeryMedicine4.5%
- Shoulder Injury and TreatmentMedicine4.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CiteScore quartiles (Scopus, June 2026 release)
| Subject | Quartile | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orthopedics and Sports Medicine | Q4 | 299/340 | 12th |
Scopus ranks journals by CiteScore within each subject: the 75th percentile and above is Q1, then a quartile every 25 points. A different system from the CAS zones.LetPub
Database indexing
ScopusDOAJLetPub
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 0.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.17LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.2LetPub ·
- h-index
- 12OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 31OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.15OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 647 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 43 | 43 | 86 |
| 2025 | 30 | 30 | 131 |
| 2024 | 21 | 21 | 142 |
| 2023 | 23 | 23 | 143 |
| 2022 | 33 | 33 | 156 |
| 2021 | 35 | 35 | 187 |
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
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 6 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 6 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Unspecified peer reviewDOAJ
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
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — |
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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteLicense & copyright
- License & copyright COPYRIGHT NOTICE
South African Orthopaedic Journal (SAOJ) Copyright held by SAOA. Copyright of the articles is held by the authors. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial Works 4.0 South Africa License (CC BY NC). Material submitted for publication in the SAOJ is accepted provided it has not been published elsewhere. SAOJ does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the…
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
- MedPharm Publications
- Country or region
- South Africa
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1681-150X
- Electronic ISSN
- 2309-8309
- Society / sponsor
- South African Orthopaedic Association
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 25, Issue 3 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about SA Orthopaedic Journal
How long does peer review take at SA Orthopaedic Journal?
Authors report an average review time of about 6 weeks. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of SA Orthopaedic Journal based?
Of the 43 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are South Africa (37), United States (3) and United Kingdom (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index SA Orthopaedic Journal?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, SA Orthopaedic Journal is indexed in Scopus and DOAJ.
Is SA Orthopaedic Journal open access, and what is the APC?
SA Orthopaedic Journal is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; 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: .