*Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan;
†Department of Sociology, Kansai University, Osaka, Japan;
‡Institute for Health Outcomes & Process Evaluation Research (iHope International), Kyoto, Japan;
§Department of Epidemiology and Healthcare Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Miho Sekiguchi, MD, PhD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan; E-mail: [email protected]
Acknowledgment date: October 18, 2010. First revision date: February 22, 2011. Second revision date: April 5, 2011. Acceptance date: April 11, 2011.
The manuscript submitted does not contain information about medical device(s)/drug(s).
No funds were received in support of this work. No benefits in any form have been or will be received from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this manuscript.
