Ethical challenges in orthopedic surgery

Despite our recent attention to ethical issues in orthopedics, we are still faced with multiple conflicts of interest that continue to pose ethical dilemmas to the practicing physician. Using four case scenarios, we review the potential conflicts of interest and the dilemmas posed by these frequently encountered situations. The ethical conflicts confronted in resident training, the introduction of new technology, physician advertising, and the obligations of the sports team physician are reviewed and discussed. The basic principles of medical ethics, including acting for the good of the patients and doing no harm, are discussed in the context of the four case scenarios.