Here are five spine and orthopedic legal battles that Becker's has reported on since Nov. 17:
1. A federal jury ruled in favor of orthopedic surgeon John Abraham, MD, who alleged Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University conducted a gender-biased investigation against him.
2. The North Carolina Medical Board suspended orthopedic surgeon Eric Brietbart, MD, indefinitely for writing fraudulent prescriptions.
3. A Kansas City man sued DePuy Synthes, Johnson & Johnson's orthopedic company, alleging the company's artificial hip was faulty and required a complex revision surgery
4. Pyam Toobian, MD, a Kings Point, N.Y.-based physician, was found guilty of a spine imaging kickback scheme providing gift cards in exchange for patient referrals.
5. Simon Orobor, the owner of two durable medical equipment companies that provided knee, back, shoulder and wrist braces equipment, pleaded guilty for his role in an $11 million kickback scheme.