Collection Overview 

Scientific Reports has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on Disorders of the shoulder and elbow.

Disorders of the shoulder and elbow, for example frozen shoulder and elbow tendinitis, are common musculoskeletal disorders that can significantly impact quality of life due to pain and reduced function. Treatment strategies include surgery or physical therapy, but patient outcomes are not always optimal. Research in this field may focus on treatment development/optimisation, identification of risk factors, and furthering our understanding of disease mechanisms.

This will be a Collection of original research papers  and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Scientific Reports more generally. Narrative review articles are also welcomed, to our sister journal Scientific Reviews. We are welcoming submissions until 3rd September 2026.

Why is this Collection important?

"Shoulder and elbow disorders represent a substantial burden across the lifespan, encompassing sports-related injuries in athletes and degenerative conditions in an aging population. Despite advances in surgical and conservative management, numerous fundamental questions regarding injury prevention, optimal treatment strategies, and long-term outcomes remain unresolved. This collection aims to consolidate diverse, high-quality research—spanning innovative clinical methodologies to translational findings—thereby establishing a comprehensive evidence base to guide future practice. We encourage researchers to contribute to this Collection as a means of advancing scientific discourse, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and ultimately improving patient outcomes at both the specialist and primary care levels."

- Dr. Hitoshi Shitara, Guest Editor

Why submit to a collection?  

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.  

Who is involved?

Guest Editors:

• Joonryul Lim, Yonsei University College of Medicine, MEDISBY, South Korea
• Hitoshi Shitara, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan

Internal Team:

• In-House Editor: Shelby Bollen, Scientific Reports, India
• Commissioning Editor: Sophie Gray, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
• Managing Editor: Libby Symons, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK

How can I submit my paper?

Visit the Collection page for more information on the Collection, and how to submit your article.