Open Access Finder

30 free-to-publish Scopus journals in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

30 peer-reviewed journals in the SCImago category Orthopedics and Sports Medicine charge no APC and no other author fees, according to the DOAJ. The quartile shown is the journal’s quartile in this category (not its best one elsewhere): 4 are Q1 and 3 Q2 here. Data snapshot: October 2026.

30journals with no APC
4Q1 in this category
3Q2 in this category
23Q3 or Q4 in this category

Of the Scopus-ranked journals here, 27% are Q1 or Q2 (site-wide: 40%). Their median self-reported time from submission to publication is 15 weeks. Most are published in South Korea (7), Russia (4) and Brazil (2). 93% accept manuscripts in English and 37% accept at least one other language.

All 30 free-to-publish journals in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Sorted by best SCImago quartile, then SJR. Click a column header to sort by it; click a second column to add a tiebreak. The search box narrows the list. Time to publish is the journal’s own DOAJ figure (average weeks from submission to publication).

#JournalQuartileSJRH-indexPublisherCountryTime to publish
1Journal of Sport and Health Science
2095-2546
Q13.71587ElsevierNetherlands22 wk
2Asian Spine Journal
1976-1902 · 1976-7846
Q11.24157Korean Spine SocietySouth Korea24 wk
3Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
2383-8337 · 2288-8721
Q10.89210Korean Shoulder and Elbow SocietySouth Korea15 wk
4Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery
2005-291X · 2005-4408
Q10.86857Korean Orthopaedic AssociationSouth Korea36 wk
5Sports Medicine and Health Science
2666-3376
Q20.84722KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.China8 wk
6Spine Surgery and Related Research
2432-261X
Q20.60825The Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related ResearchJapan15 wk
7Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation
2288-176X · 2288-1778
Q20.57935Korean Society of Exercise RehabilitationSouth Korea10 wk
8Chinese Journal of Traumatology
1008-1275
Q30.55742ElsevierNetherlands28 wk
9Deutsche Zeitschrift für Sportmedizin
0344-5925 · 2510-5264
Q30.39125SportMed VerlagGermany11 wk
10Science of Gymnastics Journal
1855-7171
Q30.28916University of Ljubljana Press (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)Slovenia16 wk
11Revista Brasileira de Ortopedia
0102-3616 · 1982-4378
Q30.26532Thieme Revinter Publicações Ltda.Brazil21 wk
12Journal of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and Technique
2508-2043
Q30.2617Korean Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery SocietySouth Korea15 wk
13Journal of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences
2956-4581
Q30.2434Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego im. Bronisława Czecha w KrakowiePoland6 wk
14MHSalud
1659-097X
Q40.2067Universidad NacionalCosta Rica54 wk
15Pamukkale Spor Bilimleri Dergisi
1309-0356
Q40.2054Pamukkale UniversityTürkiye30 wk
16Physical Treatments
2423-5830
Q40.2016Negah Institute for Scientific CommunicationIran16 wk
17SA Orthopaedic Journal
1681-150X · 2309-8309
Q40.1656MedPharm PublicationsSouth Africa6 wk
18Research in Sport Education and Sciences
2822-3527
Q40.1632Atatürk UniversityTürkiye15 wk
19Спортивная медицина: наука и практика
2223-2524 · 2587-9014
Q40.1595National Electronic Information Consortium (NEICON)Russia10 wk
20Гений oртопедии
1028-4427 · 2542-131X
Q40.15311Russian Ilizarov Scientific Center for Restorative Traumatology and OrthopaedicsRussia12 wk
21Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine
2300-9705 · 2353-2807
Q40.1517Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu SzczecińskiegoPoland12 wk
22Travmatologiâ i Ortopediâ Rossii
2311-2905 · 2542-0933
Q40.1498Vreden Russian Research Institute of Traumatology and OrthopedicsRussia8 wk
23Хирургия позвоночника
1810-8997 · 2313-1497
Q40.1488Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, Federal State Budgetary Institution "Novosibirsk Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics n.a. Ya.L. Tsivyan"Russia7 wk
24Indian Spine Journal
2589-5079 · 2589-5087
Q40.1436Wolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsIndia35 wk
25Reabilitacijos Mokslai: Slauga, Kineziterapija, Ergoterapija
2029-3194 · 2538-8673
Q40.1374Lithuanian Sports UniversityLithuania24 wk
26Cheyuk gwahag yeon-gu
1598-2920 · 2233-7938
Q40.1365Korea Institute of Sport ScienceSouth Korea7 wk
27Coluna/Columna
1808-1851 · 2177-014X
Q40.13411Sociedade Brasileira de Coluna (SBC)Brazil10 wk
28Journal of Orthopedic and Spine Trauma
2538-2330 · 2538-4600
Q40.1263Tehran University of Medical SciencesIran12 wk
29Journal Orthopaedi and Traumatology Surabaya
2722-712X · 2460-8742
Q40.1242Universitas AirlanggaIndonesia16 wk
30Journal of Korean Society of Spine Surgery
2093-4378 · 2093-4386
Q40.1122Korean Society of Spine SurgerySouth Korea10 wk

Where these journals come from

Top countries of publication

  1. South Korea 7
  2. Russia 4
  3. Brazil 2
  4. Iran 2
  5. Netherlands 2
  6. Poland 2

Top publishers

  1. Elsevier 2
  2. Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego im. Bronisława Czecha w Krakowie 1
  3. Atatürk University 1
  4. KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 1
  5. Korea Institute of Sport Science 1
  6. Korean Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Society 1

Manuscript languages accepted

  1. English 28
  2. Russian 4
  3. Spanish 2
  4. Korean 2
  5. Portuguese 2
  6. Lithuanian 1

About this list

Diamond open access (also called Platinum) means the journal is free to read and free to publish in: the DOAJ records it with “APC: no” and “other fees: no”. Quartiles come from the latest SCImago edition: Q1 is the top 25% of journals in a subject category, Q4 the bottom 25%; the lists show a journal’s best quartile. Read more in our open access guide.

Before submitting, always confirm the journal on its own website and in the DOAJ, verify Scopus indexing by ISSN with the Scopus check rather than trusting claims on the journal’s site, and watch out for look-alike titles (see the predatory journal checklist).

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