A Leg to Stand On

A Leg to Stand On is the story of SIGN, Surgical Implant Generation Network, the organization founded by Dr. Lewis Zirkle in his quest to make top quality orthopaedic implants to treat the injured poor in developing countries. This is the story of the surgeons who have taken these simple instruments and ingeniously transformed them into a versatile set of surgical tools to solve many fracture problems. It is also the story of the millions of people injured and disabled in the under-reported epidemic of injuries caused by road traffic crashes, falls, and interpersonal violence that particularly affect those caught in the throes of poverty.

SIGN's story is told from observations while working with surgeons in their hospitals in Africa and Asia. For many of these surgeons SIGN has given them not only a useful tool that has expanded their professional competence, but has also invited them to become the foundation of a strong humanitarian surgical network. It has given patients, who would be otherwise crippled for life, a leg to stand on.