Development and Biomechanical Testing of the SIGN Hip Construct

Summary: The SIGN hip construct (SHC) was developed to treat stable and unstable intertrochanteric fractures in low and middle income countries. The design was based on previous hip stabilization devices with specific adaptations to accommodate the unique challenges encountered in resource-limited settings. Specifically, our goal was to enable operative stabilization of all intertrochanteric hip fractures without the aid of C-arm imaging. The SHC evolved through 3 years of bench testing prior to clinical use. As more clinical challenges are identified, we anticipate the testing and incorporation of new ideas to improve functionality and overall structural performance of the device. This article presents the design strategy and development of the SHC as well as a fatigue gait simulator that was used to evaluate the performance of the construct.