Why a journal of hand surgery?

Abstract

Joseph Boyes, in the inaugural editorial of The Journal of Hand Surgery (reprinted on the previous pages), addressed the question “Why a Journal of Hand Surgery?” by noting that published articles concerning the hand were scattered in various textbooks, societal transaction papers, and tissue-oriented periodicals. Although hand surgery had met many of its educational obligations as an established medical discipline, such as sponsoring meetings and courses related to the upper extremity, defining requirements for fellowship training, and publishing a continuously updated bibliography of hand surgery, these activities alone were not sufficient to fulfill hand surgery’s educational mission. A specialty journal devoted exclusively to the upper limb was needed to accomplish its commitment “to improve and develop surgery of the hand.” By all standards, the publication established by Dr Boyes and his founding colleagues has been successful. Nevertheless, the question “Why a Journal of Hand Surgery?” is still pertinent today. It begs, however, a more expanded response, one that focuses not on explaining the need for such a journal, but rather on what we have come to expect of it; that is, what is its purpose and what are its objectives? As envisioned by Dr Boyes, the Journal serves as a principal repository for thoughts and ideas related to surgery of the hand. The 3,804 published articles are the historical record—the archives, so to speak—of the development of our specialty, the authority to which students of hand surgery turn for information. Some proved to be longlasting, some have been modified by ensuing notations and entries, and some became mere footnotes in the ongoing chronicles of hand surgery. Nevertheless, all are essential to defining what hand surgery is and what it will become. Additionally, The Journal of Hand Surgery provides a forum for authors to present new ideas and concepts. From a retrospective view point, ideas that have endured include the development of a classification system to categorize congenital anomalies, the identification of different patterns of carpal bone instability, the importance of tendon mobilization in the rehabilitation of sutured flexor tendons, the use of tubulization to restore continuity to injured peripheral nerves, and the microvascular transfer of composite tissues. Few ideas, however, remain unaltered; most are expanded on, clarified, or even rebutted by subsequent publications. In contrast to textbooks, review articles, and monographs, journal articles represent “current” data and do not enjoy the luxury of being shaped by the reflective perspective of time. No idea is forever and no concept is absolute; all will in time be altered by subsequent information and the presentation of new data. A third principal objective, and perhaps the most important, is to educate the reader. As noted in a 1994 ASSH member survey, The Journal of Hand Surgery is the hand surgeon’s most important instrument in addressing continuing medical education needs, exceeding even that of the annual meeting. At the most basic level,