Global Health Medical Device Compendium/SIGN IM Nail

Trauma fractures are a devastating consequence of auto and motorcycle accidents, which are more common in developing countries. Without receiving surgical intervention the bones may not repair properly, possibly leading to permanent disability. There is a need for a simple, low-cost treatment for such bone fractures.

The SIGN Intramedullary (IM) Nail secures broken pieces of the bone together to ensure proper healing. The IM nail is a long rod made of surgical-grade stainless steel that passes through the canal of the bone to hold the pieces together.

This design was originally designed and used for earthquake trauma victims in Haiti.

• Designed by: Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN)
• Manufacturer location: Richland, Washington, USA

This project receives multiple outside sources of funding such as the Washington Global Health Alliance.

Detch, R. and Zirkle, L. "The Emergence of Intramedullary Nail Technology in Developing Nations During War." (Dec 2009). Techniques in Orthopaedics. Link available here.

Zirkle L.G. Jr., M.D. Our Mission: To get the injured out of bed. The SIGN Post. (July 2002). Newsletter of the Surgical Implant Generation Network. PDF available here.

This device has been FDA approved and listed as Substantially Equivalent (SE) on 9/23/2002. Link available here.