with the patient lying face down on the operating room table and 2 x-ray machines. (For more information, go to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons site: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00388)

Federal prosecutors alleged that the company wrongfully marketed the surgical procedure. Medtronic maintained the settlement reflects its assertion that neither Kyphon nor its employees engaged in any wrongdoing or illegal activity. The company will sign a corporate integrity agreement with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, as part of the deal. Medtronic indicated that the money for the settlement had already been set aside before the companies’ merger closed, so it should not affect the bottom line. Experienced trial lawyer Doug Landau has noticed that Wall Street likes to know that sort of thing. Stockholders, like the major insurance companies, like to know “how much ?” and “when ?” in assessing risk and loss data.