Innovation in sports medicine
Innovation is important to keep the field of sports medicine moving forward. However, innovation is not synonymous with improvement, and before ever considering the prospect of financial return for any new technology or procedure, there should be proper scientific backing that the patient does actually benefit at the long term. The evaluation process is not perfect and at times can promote technology with initially promising results that may not hold in the long term. Several examples of new sports medicine technology serve as examples in this chapter to discuss the importance of the science behind this evaluation process and subsequent adoption of innovation. Sound scientific research studies are paramount in providing sufficient evidence, and proper indications before innovative medical technology should be adopted and implemented in daily clinical practice.
