The best of Global Spine Journal 2025
The year in review
As 2025 draws to a close, Global Spine Journal (GSJ) reflects on a year marked by scientific advancement, expanding clinical guidance, and exceptional contributions from authors and reviewers around the world.
The journal continued to strengthen its position as a leading platform for evidence-driven spine research, publishing influential special issues, recognizing excellence in peer review, and highlighting articles that resonated most strongly with the global spine community. In June, we could announce yet another increase to our impact factor going up to 3.0, the highest ever for GSJ, and another reason to publish your research in the open access GSJ.
Major focus issues released in 2025
Two comprehensive focus issues were added to the GSJ editorial collections this year, offering state-of-the-art discussions on emerging and evolving areas of spine care.
Precision medicine in spinal oncology
The first focus issue, Precision Medicine in Spinal Oncology: An Overview from the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tumor, explored the growing role of individualized treatment strategies in spinal oncology. Contributors examined diagnostic innovations, biomarker-driven decision-making, and the future of targeted therapies within multidisciplinary cancer care.
Adult spinal deformity controversies and future directions
The second focus issue, Adult Spinal Deformity: Understanding the Controversies and Looking to the Future, addressed ongoing debates surrounding surgical indications, treatment selection, and long-term patient outcomes. The collection highlighted both current challenges and promising directions for deformity management.
GSJ annual awards presented at Global Spine Congress
Each year, Global Spine Journal honors the strongest contributions to its peer-review process and published literature. At the 2025 Global Spine Congress in Rio de Janeiro, the Editors-in-Chief presented awards recognizing the top reviewers and top papers of 2024. This year, GSJ also had a successful and strong presence at GSC in Rio with its own booth and a journal club streamed Live from Rio!
Best reviewers
- Chris Neal
- Gal Barkay
Best papers
- A prospective multicenter ≥2 years clinical study of the Active Apex Correction (APC) technique in early onset scoliosis (EOS) patients by Ahmad M. Hammad, Mohammad Emar, Farah Shahin, et al.
- Early versus delayed surgery for elderly traumatic cervical spine injury: A nationwide multicenter study in Japan by Naoki Segi, Hiroaki Nakashima, Sadayuki Ito, et al.
We encourage our authors also to publish on their topics in the AO Spine Guest Blog to increase awareness and boost citations.
A Guest Blog post by Dr Alaaeldin Ahmad explores the APC technique for treating early onset scoliosis, highlighting its development and global use as a scalable, efficient alternative to traditional methods, especially in resource-limited settings: Active Apex Correction (APC): innovative non-fusion technique for Early Onset Scoliosis treatment
The Guest Blog Early vs delayed surgery for cervical spine injury in elderly patients: Rethinking timing and outcomes by the authors concludes that early surgery for cervical spinal injury in elderly patients is safe and does not increase perioperative complications.
Launch of the new Reviewer of the Month Award
This year, GSJ expanded its reviewer recognition by introducing the Reviewer of the Month Award. The program highlights individuals whose reviews demonstrated exceptional rigor, timeliness, and contribution to scientific quality. Any active reviewer is eligible for selection. Reviewers of the Month are announced on the website.
Reviewers of the month in 2025
- March: Mark James Lambrechts
- April: Vinicus Ferraz
- May: Juan Pablo Sardi
- June: Wongthawat Liawrungrueang
- July: Louis Chang
- August: Jason Cheung
- September: Marco Burkhard
- October: Deya AlWady
Establishment of the Editorial Review Board
In addition to monthly recognition, GSJ launched the Editorial Review Board (ERB), a curated group of top reviewers featured on the journal’s masthead. ERB members commit to high-quality peer review standards and help maintain the journal’s rigorous evaluation process. Reviewers interested in joining the ERB may apply after establishing strong standing as GSJ reviewers.
Top cited articles of the year
The most cited articles of 2025 reflected a strong interest in artificial intelligence, diagnostic accuracy, and systematic syntheses of current evidence. Leading topics included AI-driven imaging analysis, identification of key clinical signs, and outcomes related to disc herniation and vascular injury.
- ChatGPT and its role in the decision-making for the diagnosis and treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis
- Novel AI-based algorithm for automated computation of coronal parameters in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
- The value of clinical signs in the diagnosis of degenerative cervical myelopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
- Annulus fibrosus repair for lumbar disc herniation: A meta-analysis of controlled studies
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of vertebral artery injury after cervical spine trauma
Most read articles of 2025
The year’s most read content highlights clinical decision-making, surgical comparisons, and the expanding role of AI-based diagnostic tools.
- Clinical outcomes of a new foot-worn non-invasive biomechanical intervention compared to traditional physical therapy in chronic low back pain
- AO Spine clinical practice recommendations for the diagnosis and management of degenerative cervical myelopathy
- AO Spine clinical practice recommendations for the surgical management of degenerative spondylolisthesis
- Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) versus full-endoscopic/percutaneous TLIF: A comparative observational study
- Artificial intelligence for cervical spine fracture detection: A systematic review of diagnostic performance and clinical potential
Leading articles from Focus Issues
Within the special issues, several articles stood out for their readership and clinical relevance. These papers provided updated guidelines, surgical decision frameworks, and insights into implant performance and injury classification.
- Clinical practice guideline for the management of acute spinal cord injury: Hemodynamic management recommendations
- Update of clinical practice guidelines on the role and timing of decompressive surgery for acute spinal cord injury
- Avoiding spinal implant failures in osteoporotic patients: A narrative review
- The AO Spine thoracolumbar injury classification system and treatment algorithm for burst fractures without neurologic deficit
- Subsidence rates in porous 3D-printed versus solid titanium cages in TLIF procedures
Expanding the AO Spine Knowledge Forum series
GSJ continued to publish influential content from the AO Spine Knowledge Forum Series, the AO Spine Clinical Practice Recommendations. These publications support clinicians with structured, evidence-based guidance across a broad spectrum of spinal conditions.
Accessing GSJ content
Readers can explore all GSJ special collections, Focus Issues, and OnlineFirst articles, through the journal’s digital library. The final issue of 2025 and the latest early-release articles remain available online.
Important update to AO Spine membership requirements
AO Spine Membership announced a new requirement for receiving a waived Article Processing Charge (APC), effective January 5. To qualify for the waiver, both the first or last author and one additional author must hold active AO Spine membership.
Have you bookmarked these handy resources?
- The GSJ Special Collections are collections of articles grouped by topic. They are updated every month with the newest articles. All Special Collections are available here.
- The latest issue is always available here.
- The latest OnlineFirst articles are constantly published here.
- If you are interested in reviewing for the Global Spine Journal, please contact Managing Editor Danielle Lieberman.
You might also be interested in:
Global Spine Journal
GSJ is the first fully open access journal in the field of spine surgery with an impact factor. The 2023 IF is 2.6.
AO Spine Focus Issues
Collections of treatment recommendations, hot topics, and current controversies in spine care produced by AO Spine.
Join us at the GSC
GSC is where the world's spine professionals come together, to meet leading researchers and clinical experts, and explore career development opportunities.
AO Spine Guest Blog
Insights from the community to the community. Articles on latest research, hot topics, and open questions in spine care.