Authors are invited to submit abstracts presenting new research results related to research on fascia. (Online submission form access at bottom of this page.)

Abstracts selected by the Scientific Review Committee will be posted on this web site and published in the 2009 conference proceedings book.

The general categories requested for submitted abstracts are:

1. Basic science
   1. Anatomy of Fascia
   2. Biomechanics of Fascia
   3. Cytology / Histology of Fascia
   4. Modeling and Fascia
   5. Pathology and Fascia
2. Clinical mechanistic research, or clinical findings suggesting directions for basic research
   1. Manual Therapy and Fascia
   2. Muscle-fascia statics and Dynamics
   3. Fascia in Surgery and recovery from Surgery
   4. Low Back Pain and Lumbar Fascia
   5. Fascia related research on special populations (e.g. women, persons with disabilities)
3. Research methodology
4. New Hypotheses
5. Special workshops on fascial considerations in women, minorities and persons with disability, such as pelvic pain, keloid formation, spasticity

Important Dates 

Submission Open: October 15, 2008 through February 15, 2009

Acceptance Notification: April 15, 2009

Conference Dates: Tuesday-Friday, October 27-30, 2009 (Clinician to Scientist Demonstrations and Post-Conference Workshops Saturday October 31, 2009)

Submission Guidelines 

Abstracts must be submitted in English. Submissions will only be accepted on-line. Please submit MS Word or PDF formats. Total length of the submission must be no more than one (1) page long, using the rules specified below.

Authors of accepted abstracts…

1. Must guarantee that at least one of the authors will register and attend the conference and present.
2. Are required, as part of the submission process, to grant permission to publish their abstracts.
3. Are responsible to ensure that no contractual relations or proprietary considerations exist that restrict the dissemination of their findings.
4. Are responsible that work presented in abstracts must conform to the applicable policy and principles for experimental procedures. The main author must ensure that work presented in the abstract is in accord with ethical policies on using animals and human subjects in research, as well as (where applicable) the Declaration of Helsinki. The Scientific Review Committee reserves the right to contact the author or institution for clarification or proof of review board approval prior to acceptance of the abstract.

Please be sure to follow the formatting guidelines below.

Please note, submissions not meeting the submission guidelines risk rejection without consideration of their merits.

Scientific Review Process 

The Scientific Review Committee consists of scientists with conventional research training and/or experience in relevant complementary disciplines. The panel has been selected to represent a wide range of clinical and scientific disciplines.

Abstracts will be reviewed by at least two members of the review panel. Abstracts should be sufficiently intelligible and self-contained.

Selection will be based on a set of criteria, such as: scientific relevance, substantiated laboratory evidence, hypothesis relevance, implications for applied methods, and relevance for clinicians.

The Scientific Review Committee will make final determination for oral versus poster presentation from among the accepted abstracts. Accepted abstracts will be published on this web site and published in the 2009 conference proceedings book.

Formatting 

Formatting—after editorial changes, if any—will be kept as-submitted for abstract publication on the website. Substantial deviation from the requested standard will require author revision. Submissions not meeting the guidelines risk rejection without consideration of their merits.

Each abstract should state the study's objective, briefly describe the methods used, summarize the results obtained, and state the conclusions. Abstracts must stand on their own, giving a synopsis of the project. It is not satisfactory to say, "The results will be discussed." Presentations should emphasize the significance of results and general principles.

When experimental animals are used, the species should be stated, including the sex if relevant. Use standard abbreviations for units of measure. Other abbreviations should be fully spelled out on first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.

Download a PDF to print the formatting guidelines.

Download a PDF example of properly formatted abstracts:

• A Model for Radiating Pain in Endometriosis: the Nerve-Uterus Chimera
• The Spring-like Function of the Lumbar Fascia in Human Walking
• Perimuscular Fascia Remodeling in a Porcine Movement Restriction Model Relevant to Human Low Back Pain
• Do We Need to Consider Damage to Myofascial Structures in Managing Painful Dysfunction Following Treatment for Breast Cancer?

1. Abstract page sizes and formatting instructions:

• Total length of the submission must be no more than one (1) page long.
• Standard US (8.5 X 11 inch page size, preferred): 1.0” margins top and bottom, 1.0” margins left and right.
• A4 (21 X 30 cm page size): 2.54 cm margins top and bottom, 2.54 cm margins left and right.
• These page sizes will result in abstracts that are approximately 500 words in length.
• There is no requirement to use the entire page. The example of an expanded abstract provided here in PDF is shorter than the approximately maximum length (373 words total), includes a figure and legend, and satisfies the formatting and content requirements.

2. Main title

Initial caps, 14 point, bold, centered. Leave two blank lines after the title.

3. Author name(s) and affiliation(s)

Author name(s) and full affiliation(s) should be beneath the title and separated from title by two blank spaces. The font must be Arial 11 or Times/Times New Roman 12 point, non-boldface type, initial capitals. Include full address, telephone and fax numbers, and email addresses. Include e-mail addresses if possible. Leave two blank lines after the author information, above main text.

4. Main Text

Acceptable fonts include Arial 11 or Times/Times New Roman 12. The use of other size or style fonts (except as specified in the title section) will result in rejection. Text should be left only justified, and in one column. Use single line spacing.

The following components must be included in the Main Text. Each component must be indicated at the beginning of a new line, and in all-capitals.

• PURPOSE or HYPOTHESIS or BACKGROUND
• APPROACH or METHODS
• RESULTS
• CONCLUSIONS

5. Illustrations, Graphs, Figures, and Photographs

All graphics must be included within the same page. Figure legends should be short, and can be one font-size smaller than the main text. Color will be available for the web version but not in the printed proceedings.

6. Footnotes

Do not use footnotes.

7. References

References, if included, must follow the main text. List and number all references at the end of the paper. When referenced in the text, enclose the citation number in square brackets; e.g., [7]. Where appropriate, include name(s) of editors of referenced books.

Examples:

• Journal: Bove GM, Zaheen A, Bajwa ZH. Subjective Nature of Lower Limb Radicular Pain. J Man Physiol Therapeutics, 28: 12-14, 2005.
• Book Chapter: Bove GM. Peripheral Nerve Biology and Concepts of Nerve Pathophysiology. In Haldeman S, ed. Principles and Practice of Chiropractic 3rd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2004, p 289-299.

8. Disclosures (When Applicable)

Financial contributions and/or potential for financial gain that may be derived from reported work may constitute a potential conflict of interest (real or perceived). Authors are required to disclose their sources of contributed support (commercial, public, or private foundation grants, and off-label use of drugs, if any) entered in a field below the abstract titled “Disclosures”.

Resources for Scientific Writing 

The following resources are offered to elaborate on the general subject of writing research papers. The guidelines for abstract submissions for the Fascia Research Congress remain as specified above.

Examples of published papers:

Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies

Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology

Other Rules for Submission and Presentation of Abstracts:

Society of Neuroscience

Instructions for Authors:

Journal of Neuroscience

Presenting Case Studies:

A T Still Research Institute

 Submit an Abstract Online »