Conflicts of Interest in Spine Surgeons: An Analysis of the Effects of Industry Payments on Practice Patterns and Complication Rates in Spine Surgery

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Recent demands from the United States Congress and the Institute of Medicine have highlighted the importance of conflict of interest among physicians. Previous studies have identified orthopedic and neurological surgeons as receiving among the highest industry payment amounts. However, to date, no study has investigated the association or potential effects of disclosed industry payments with quality of patient care.