Are Financial Relationships between Surgeons and Joint Manufacturers Kickbacks?

Karen Gatlin

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New Jersey U.S. attorney Christopher Christie had accused several manufacturers of orthopedic appliances of using financial rewards to ensure use of their products by surgeons. In an agreement to avoid prosecution, the companies paid $311 million in fines and revealed the names of surgeons they paid, documenting large amounts of money paid to surgeons for exclusive use of a particular company's products. Companies were: Zimmer Inc; DePuy Orthopedics Inc. (a subsdiary of Johnson & Johnson); Biomet Inc.; Smith & Nephew Inc.; and Stryker Orthopedics. The companys' agreements (Deferred Prosecution Agreements) can be found on their web sites.