Footnotes

• Correction notice This article has been corrected since it published Online First. The competing interests statement has been amended.

• Twitter Follow Doug Beall at @dougbeall

• Competing interests Medtronic – advisory board, consultant, research funding; Amendia – consultant; Spineology – consultant, stock owner; Dfine – consultant; Osseon – consultant; Lilly – advisory board, consultant; Xten – consultant; Smith & Nephew – consultant; Ascendx Spine – consultant, research funding; Vertiflex – consultant; Synthes – consultant; Depuy – consultant; Johnson & Johnson – consultant; Orthovita – consultant, research funding; Vitacare – consultant, research funding; Ortho Kinematics – consultant, research funding; Alphatech Spine – consultant, research funding; Dfine – consultant, research funding; Advanced Technologies and Regenerative Medicine – research funding; Algea-Globus – consultant; Benvenue – consultant, research funding, medical director, stock owner; Bone Support – consultant, research funding; Convatec – advisory board, consultant; Integral Spine Solutions – advisory board, consultant; Spinal Ventures – consultant; Medical Metrics – consultant, research funding; Zyga – consultant, research funding; Liventa – consultant, research funding; Vexim – consultant, board member; Mesoblast – research funding.

• Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.