Anniversary Editorial

With this issue, the Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery enters its 22nd year of publication. Ongoing advances continue in such areas as peripheral-nerve regeneration, perforator flaps, pharmaceutical agents and other modalities for more rapid healing and angiogenesis, and new techniques in microneurovascular surgery. These areas, as well as the latest basic science research, are evident in the abstracts submitted to our three supporting societies-the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, and American Society for the Peripheral Nerve. We thank the societies for encouraging their members and presenters to submit the very best of their abstracts to us in the form of completed journal articles for consideration by our editorial staff and other peer reviewers.

As many developments of interest to our specialty have been adopted by a variety of other specialties, we also continue our original dedication to foster cooperation between the bench sciences and important clinical applications. Our attention remains focused on new technical innovations and ideas, surgical anatomy as it applies to our areas of interest, and clinical and basic science historical reviews. For these directions, and for the paths the journal will take in the future, we constantly evaluate the content of our submissions, the state-of-the art depicted in the sets of society abstracts we publish annually, and the strong interests of our reviewers, readers, and authors. In particular, we appreciate the dedication of our reviewers, whose extensive comments and invited discussions in their areas of expertise serve as valuable and provocative teaching devices for our readership.

My thanks and appreciation go to everyone who has played a part in our ongoing success and our enviable history. I continue to encourage the sharing of ideas and opinions about improvement and excellence in quality of publication from our readers, editorial staff, reviewers, and supporting societies. A happy and healthy 22nd birthday to us all!