*Departments of Medicine, and of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
†Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
‡Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California at Irvine
§Department of Medical Imaging, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
¶Departments of Medicine, and of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
‖Keenan Research Centre of the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
**Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to John J. You, MD, MSc, 1280 Main Street W, HSC-2C8, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8S 4K1; E-mail: [email protected]
Acknowledgment date: September 15, 2011. Revision date: April 20, 2012. Acceptance date: May 22, 2012.
The manuscript submitted does not contain information about medical device(s)/drug(s).
This study was conducted at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, which is funded by an annual grant from the Ontario MOHLTC. This study also received partial funding from the Minimal Access Ambulatory Surgical Spine Research and Education Fund, and Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation.
One or more of the author(s) has/have received or will receive benefits for personal or professional use from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this manuscript: for example, honoraria, gifts, consultancies.