Top Medtech Controversies

There's the billions of dollars that Johnson & Johnson and other medical device companies are paying to settle metal-on-metal hip implant lawsuits. And then there's the memory of the thousands of women maimed in the 1970s by the Dalkon shield.Because it is an industry that is literally supposed to preserve life over death, medtech companies find themselves embroiled in controversy big time when devices fail. And arguments over the regulatory process and taxes spark plenty of arguments as well.Read on to find out about seven of the most notable controversies of recent decades.Refresh your medical device industry knowledge at MD&M East, June 9–12, 2014 in New York City.Related content:5 Most Recall-Prone Medical Devices5 Medtech Firms with the Most Recalls7 Recent Medical Device Failures Catching FDA's Eye9 Ways Medical Devices FailLatest Major Medical Device RecallsImage modified from art by antoniocasas - homofotograficus.com under CC.Brian Buntz is the editor-in-chief of MPMN and Qmed. Follow him on Twitter at @brian_buntz. Chris Newmarker is senior editor of MPMN and Qmed. Follow him on Twitter at @newmarker.