Are surgeons accepting bribes?

he relationship of orthopedic surgeons to medical device companies has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months. A front-page article in the September 22, 2005, issue of The New York Times reported that a Louisiana orthopedic surgeon paid $10,000 in fines after state investigators determined that his consulting agreement with an implant manufacturer was an improper conflict of interest under the state ethics code. In the January 24, 2006, issue, the Times described a whistle-blower lawsuit that alleged that an implant company gave a consulting spine surgeon “excessive remuneration and bribes....for purchasing goods and medical devices.” On the basis of these reports, the public might well believe that every orthopedic surgeon is on the take and accepting bribes. Clearly, this is not the case.