Federal probe: Implant makers bought doctors- NJ.com

Federal probe: Implant makers bought doctors- NJ.com: ". . . Federal prosecutors in New Jersey have been building a case that the nation's largest makers of artificial hips and knees [DePuy, Striker, Zimmer, Smith & Nephew] defrauded the government and taxpayers by paying surgeons to use and promote their products, according to sources close to the probe. The evidence includes statements from prominent doctors around the country who allegedly accepted lavish vacations, gifts and "consulting fees" as high as $200,000 a year from the implant makers for little or no work, said four attorneys who have been briefed on aspects of the case."