An orthopedics trade journal also picked up on Medtronic's misstatement on CNBC earlier this week and wonders why the company is continuing its "bumbling" and "awkward" efforts to shake an investigation by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley.

A former military doctor who has received consulting and other payments from Medtronic is accused of falsifying data in a study that concluded favorable results for the company's bone-growth product InFuse.

Othopedics This Week says the issue isn't going away, and worse yet, the broader issue of doctor consulting payments is starting to get in the way of the company's business. Some surgeons are becoming weary of working with device companies for fear that it will invite scrutiny.

"Senator Grassley has Medtronic by the ankles like a pit-bull and he's not going to let go until he's satisfied that Medtronic has disclosed all of their consulting contracts and has a system in place to disclose and monitor all such contracts in the future," the journal writes. "We urge Medtronic to pull the curtains wide open and let the sun blind the senator into loosening his grip on their ankles and surgeon's fears."