Ethical and Methodological Issues Surrounding the Use of Appropriate Comparators in Orthopaedic Surgery Randomized Controlled Trials

Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have the ability to provide researchers with more concrete evidence than that of their nonrandomized counterparts, conducting an RCT brings with it many ethical and methodological considerations. It is understood that in order to progress knowledge, and create new knowledge to benefit future patients, research must include human subjects; however, the desire to further knowledge must be placed second …