About the Authors

Nina S. Korse

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

n.s.korse@lumc.nl

Affiliation Department of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands

Mark C. Kruit

Roles Conceptualization, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands

Wilco C. Peul

Roles Conceptualization, Resources, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of Neurosurgery, Haaglanden Medical Centre, The Hague, the Netherlands

Carmen L. A. Vleggeert-Lankamp

Roles Conceptualization, Investigation, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation Department of Neurosurgery, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands

Competing Interests

I have read the journal's policy. Outside the submitted work, Dr Vleggeert-Lankamp and Dr Peul report the following interests: National Health organisation sponsors a trial on treatment of cervical radiculopathy, and has been paying a trial on the treatment of spinal stenosis. Braun sponsors a study after the surgical treatment of cervical discectomies. Medtronic sponsors a study after the surgical treatment of spondylolytic listhesis. Paradigm Spine sponsors a study after the surgical treatment of spinal stenosis. These are all Investigator Initiated trials. The payment is not made to private accounts but to the research department only. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.