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Are Placebo Trials a Wave of the Future in Medical Devices?

In the wake of a study (reported in the "The New England Journal of Medicine") that arthroscopic surgery in patients delivered no better results than did a placebo procedure, industry executives are asking, "What role should placebo trials play in assessing the clinical value of medical devices or device-driven procedures?

Fresh on the heels of reports of a study from the Women's Health Initiative, which suggested that long-term hormone replacement therapy leads to increased risks of breast cancer, stroke, and heart attack, comes news of a long-term study, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, that found that arthroscopic surgery in patients with osteoarthritis delivered no better results than did a placebo procedure.

Appearing at nearly the same time, the two studies seemed to echo each other, casting doubt on long-standing treatments with...

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