Neurospine: Harmonious Launch of a New Intellectual Odyssey.

We are glad to announce that the Korean Journal of Spine has been expanded and restructured as Neurospine, a joint journal among Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Neurospine is an academic journal of spinal neurosurgery, a field that encompasses multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in the spine and spinal cord.

Neurospine provides a forum for sharing ideas in progress and development, and is becoming a journal that makes a significant academic impact on the field of spinal neurosurgery.

Neurospine will also grow into a space for active academic interchanges among physicians and scientists specializing in the spine in North America, South America, Australia, and Europe, as well as in Asia.

Neurospine is launching as an international journal that is published 4 times a year with a total of about 40 papers. However, we anticipate that we will successfully increase its frequency of publication, with the goal of becoming a leading spine journal that publishes over 100 papers a year. The results of academic activities in 21 fields related to spinal neurosurgery will be published through a rigorous peer review process: anatomy, basic science/biomechanics, deformities, degenerative disorders, neurophysiology and intraoperative monitoring, epidemiology, genetics/genomics, infections, minimally invasive surgery, oncology, pain, pediatrics, trauma, spinal cord, cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbosacral spine, peripheral nerve, neuroimaging, functional spinal surgery, and miscellaneous.

We are honored to have received major academic and financial contributions from 6 Korean research societies (specializing in the cervical spine, deformities, minimally invasive surgery, osteoporosis, basic research, and oncology). These 6 research societies, along with members from Japan and Taiwan, will become the core center for paper invitation and peer review. Experts in these 6 research societies will form 6 dedicated sections to review manuscripts submitted in the above fields.

Asia is the world’s largest continent, where 60% of the world population lives, and has the world’s longest history with many diverse cultures. Although Neurospine has been launched through the joint efforts of the Korean Spinal Neurosurgery Society, the Neurospinal Society of Japan, and Taiwan Neurosurgical Spine Society, which represent Asia for now, it is open to all and intends to play a role in communication and academic exchange among many countries all over the world. In addition, Neurospine will open its doors to various academic societies in Asia, Australia, North America, South America, and Europe to participate as partner societies.

Recently, protectionism and an atmosphere of closed, exclusionary, racially discriminatory, and antidiversity policies have cast a dark shadow all over the world. Nonetheless, the basic philosophy of Neurospine is to contribute to the integration of the world through academic development. The academic achievements of spinal neurosurgery should be made available to the public, individual diversity should be respected, and the various social and cultural backgrounds of different nations should be embraced and understood.

We would like to extend our appreciation again to Prof. Geun Sung Song (the president of the Korean Spinal Neurosurgery Society), Prof. Phyo Kim (the president of the Neurospinal Society of Japan), and Prof. E-Jian Lee (the president of the Tai-wan Neurosurgical Spine Society) for playing decisive roles in the expansion and reshaping of the Korean Journal of Spine as Neurospine. We would also like to thank the Japanese Deputy Editor Dr. Makoto Taniguchi, the Taiwanese Deputy Editor Dr. Shih-Huang Tai, and all members of the Advisory Board, Editorial Board, and the Review Board.

Finally, I would like to proudly declare that “Neurospine is the Beginning of the Time and the Harmony for Future Odyssey.”

March 2018