SIGN

Surgical Implant Generation Network
SIGN is an international non-profit organization dedicated to creating equality of fracture care throughout the world.

Road traffic accidents, conflicts, falls, and natural disaster often cause injuries such as severe fractures. The World Health Organization estimates that annually, 20 million people living in developing countries are injured in road traffic accidents alone. Furthermore, at least 50% of those injured are living at sustenance level.

The limited availability and high price of orthopaedic implants mean that many injured are unable to recieve proper treatment for compound fractures. Local surgeons often have only casting or traction available for treatment and patients can remain hositalized for several months. This delay and the potential improper healing of their injuries exacerbates the hardships felt by themselves, their families and their communities as the majority of the injured are breadwinners.

The Surgical Implant Generation Network not only coordinates training for orthopaedic surgeons in developing countries, they also design, manufacture and donate an IM Nail system which can be implanted without electricity or the use of a C-arm. When hospitals have access to the SIGN IM Nail system, patients are able to leave the hospital within 2 weeks and return to work to feed their families.

The SIGN headquarters also tracks these surgeries via the SIGN surgical database where SIGN surgeons record their cases. Each case is reviewed by an orthopaedic surgeon here in the US who provide the SIGN surgeons immediate feedback.

Acumed is proud to be a SIGN partner and will continue its support of SIGN by providing input into the design of their implants, technical advice on their manufacturing, donation of our product and the in-kind donations of equipment and instruments.