Army doctor forged Infuse study
Yet another scandal involving the Walter Reed Army Medical Center has surfaced. Apparently Dr. Timothy R. Kuklo, a former surgeon at Walter Reed, may have falsified his study of Medtronic Inc.’s Infuse Bone Graft.
During his time at Walter Reed, Kuklo conducted, published, and promoted a study in which he claimed that soldiers’ leg injuries healed faster when Infuse was used.
However, major news agencies such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times have reported that Kuklo lied about the number of patients and injuries treated, did not obtain the Army’s permission to conduct the study and forged the signatures of his co-authors.
Kuklo is currently an associate professor at the Washington University medical school in St. Louis. He is a paid consultant for Medtronic and even gave speeches on Medtronic medical devices while at Walter Reed.
His position at Medtronic may cause legal problems for both of them since Kuklo employed an off-label use for Infuse in his study and pharmaceutical companies are forbidden from promoting off-label use of their products.