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Previous Volume 347:137-139 July 11, 2002 Number 2 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Surgical procedures are often introduced into practice without rigorous evaluation. Moreover, clinical trials of surgery have seldom included placebo surgery as a control, owing to ethical concerns. In 1959, the Journal published the results of a placebo-controlled trial of ligation of the internal thoracic artery for the treatment of angina.¹ In this issue of the Journal, Moseley et al. report on a placebo-controlled trial of arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee.² In both studies, the surgical interventions were no more effective than placebo operations. A major difference between the use of placebo surgery 43 years ago and its use . . . [Full Text of this Article]

The Ethics of Clinical Research

Placebo Surgery

Minimizing Risks

Justifying Risks

Informed Consent

Conclusions

Related Letters:

Arthroscopic Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Knee
Jackson R. W., Ewing W., Ewing J. W., Chambers K. G., Schulzer M., Blacher R. S., Morse L. J., Wray N. P., Moseley J. B., O'Malley K., Horng S., Miller F. G.
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N Engl J Med 2002; 347:1717-1719, Nov 21, 2002. Correspondence

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