Review Question - QID 218913

An orthopaedic surgeon is approached by a new implant company regarding performing a randomized control trial using their newly designed total knee arthroplasty (TKA) implant. The surgeon agrees and is paid fair market value to compare the new TKA implant to a standard alternative. The surgeon discloses the company payment and obtains informed consent from all participants. The study is registered with the National Institute of Health. The study protocol is maintained in a regulatory binder in the surgeon’s office that is kept up to date. The company provides one of its statisticians for data analysis and the generation of results tables. The findings are published in a large, indexed journal with the surgeon’s disclosures provided. Which of the following was considered inappropriate for research conduct?