III. Case Reports


Authors submitting manuscripts with a case report should prepare an abstract of no more than 250 words under the folloiwng headings: “Objective,” “Clinical Features,” “Intevention and Outcome,” and “Conclusion.”

Objective: The objective describes what the case report attempts to accomplish. Is it presenting a rare case? Or, perhaps, it is describing an aunusual response to treatment. Here, in a short few sentences, you describe the intent and import of the report.

Clinical Features: This section lists the imporatn clinical features of the condition discussed, including important physical findings, neurological and orthopedic findings, radiographic or other imaging results and any other special studies performed.

Intevention and Outcome: Describe the type of care rendered to the patient and the ultimate response to therapy.

Conclusion: What was learned from this case? What did the author conclude, and what recommendations might be made.


Lawrence DJ, Structured abstracts for Case Reports Published in JMPT: Editorial , Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 1993;16(3):123-4.

Sample Structured Abstract for Case Report:

Blum CL, Chiropractic and Pilates Therapy for the Treatment of Adult Scoliosis Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics May 2002; 25(4):

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of Pilates therapy and sacro-occipital technique in the management of a 39-year-old woman with scoliosis who had undergone spinal fusion many years earlier. CLINICAL FEATURES: The patient had progressive severe low back pain that had worsened over the years after her surgery and had prevented her from activities such as carrying her son or equipment necessary for her job as a photographer. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: The patient was provided a series of Pilates exercises used to overcome her chronic habituation and muscle weakness. Although this therapy went on for some time, she did begin to stabilize and increase physical activity. At present, she is no longer limited in her physical activity, although she still exhibits some symptoms from her scoliosis. CONCLUSION: The addition of Pilates therapy can be useful to care for patients with chronic low back pain and deconditioning.

MeSH Terms: Activities of Daily Living, Adult, Case Report, Exercise Therapy/methods, Female, Human, Low Back Pain/therapy, Manipulation, Chiropractic/methods, Posture, Scoliosis/therapy, Time Factors, Treatment Outcome.