• Est. 2006

  • Education

  • Research

  • Leadership

Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology (IGOT)

The Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology (IGOT)

IGOT’s goal is to improve patient care in under-resourced environments through sustainable programs with regional academic partners.
IGOT is recognized widely as the global leader in orthopaedic trauma academic outreach through its sustainable partnerships in education, research, and collaboration.
IGOT’s  programs, based on long-term academic partnerships, have evolved from simple educational exchanges to comprehensive partnerships that promote high-quality clinical research projects and large-scale regional educational courses. The model has now expanded to other programs through the Consortium for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology (COACT), a coalition of North American academic programs, led by IGOT.

Housed at the Orthopaedic Trauma Institute within the University of California (UCSF), San Francisco and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, IGOT aims to help save limbs and lives by providing accessible, high-quality surgical education for medical personnel in developing countries around the world, from Latin America to Africa, Asia, and beyond.

The Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology (IGOT) was founded in 2006 by UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty and residents as a non-profit academic initiative. 

Orthopaedic injuries frequently result in death or amputations, leading to devastating lifelong health and economic impacts for individuals and their families. Historically, in places where plastic surgeons are not available, medical mission models have been used to deploy specialists to help deliver the type of treatment (soft tissue coverage) that is commonly used to save limbs and lives in more developed countries. Yet, this type of medical mission care is inherently unsustainable, and can even be detrimental by preventing infrastructure development in developing countries.

IGOT offers a new approach. IGOT’s Surgical Management and Reconstructive Training (SMART) course provides specialized training in soft tissue coverage techniques to orthopaedic surgeons in countries where this need is present, and resources are unavailable. Follow-up surveys with participants have indicated an over 93 percent soft tissue flap survival success rate using the new techniques from the course, with an estimated 3,200 limbs saved by local surgeons based on a self-reported survey to attendees.

While traditionally using an in-person train-the-trainer model, IGOT pivoted during the pandemic. Along with much of the global social sector, deployment of educational programs has primarily been carried out through virtual trainings, and the impact has been significant, opening the door to an expanded impact, at lower cost, and far reaching accessibility for more surgeons and staff to attend more frequent trainings, ultimately touching far more lives worldwide.

Rooted in IGOT’s commitment to academic collaboration and innovation, the program offers insights for philanthropy-funded partners seeking to foster health equity and deep, sustainable impact in a global context.

Our Mission
IGOT’s mission is to build capacity in musculoskeletal care through global partnerships.

Our Vision
IGOT's vision is to be the global leader in academic partnership in orthopaedic surgery.

Our Values
IGOT's values include Equity, Collaboration and Scholarship awards.

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