Meet our Founder

Lewis G. Zirkle, MD, is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who maintained a thriving private practice for more than 40 years in Richland, Washington. He graduated from Davidson College and Duke University Medical Center. After one year in the orthopaedic residency program at Duke, he was drafted into the US Army and sent to Vietnam. His military service included treating soldiers and civilians at the 93rd Evac Hospital between 1968-1969 and at Fitzsimmons General Hospital between 1969-1970. Dr. Zirkle continued his orthopaedic residency during his time in the Army at Letterman General Hospital, Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children, and Fort Ord.

Dr. Zirkle has traveled extensively in developing countries to teach orthopaedic surgery since 1970. During his annual leave in 1972, Dr. Zirkle and his wife Sara participated in a volunteer effort with CARE MEDICO in Indonesia. This initial volunteer experience inspired him to continuing returning to Indonesia for many years. During one of his return trips to Indonesia, Dr. Zirkle found a patient with a fractured femur who had been lying in bed for three years. Dr. Zirkle questioned the doctors about this man, because he had been teaching them how to treat this type of injury. They responded that they did not have the proper equipment for surgery and this man could not afford treatment. In 1999, Dr. Zirkle founded SIGN to design, manufacture, and donate the implants and instruments needed for sustainable surgery in low-resource hospitals.

As SIGN expanded, Dr. Zirkle spent increasing amounts of time engaged in the development of new surgical implants that can be used in low-income countries, developing curricula applicable to the surgeons, and traveling to teach surgery and modern orthopaedic care. Although Dr. Zirkle no longer travels overseas, he remains engaged in engineering discussions and reviews cases on the SIGN Surgical Database. He is known throughout the orthopaedic community as the main catalyst for enabling orthopaedic surgeons in low-income countries to provide immediate and effective surgical care to their patients. Nearly 500,000 people can attribute their mobility to his dedication.

Dr. Zirkle is a man of incredible energy, creativity, and courage. He has traveled to areas of conflict including Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq to provide equipment and training, and has answered calls for help during disasters, including Indonesia, Haiti, and Nepal. He has won many awards for his commitment, including the AAOS Humanitarian Award in 2007, the US Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 2018, the OTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and the 2026 OTA Keystone Honor.

Want to learn more about Dr. Zirkle’s life in his own words?

Read We Walk the World, available for purchase on Amazon.