Figure 1.

Patient enrollment and follow-ups. One person who was retired at 1 year also reported being laid off; only counted above as retired. Percentages may not add to 100% because of rounding. We sent emails to 743 patients scheduled for single-level lumbar spinal fusion and/or decompression who were not retired according to our electronic medical record, inviting them to participate. This included 88 patients who were not employed according to our electronic medical record, 34 patients who were disabled, and 10 with missing or unknown work status. We emailed these patients because, although we the electronic medical record is typically reliable if it states someone is retired, there is enough year-to-year change in employment status for non-retirees that these other statuses can be temporary.