The Glia External Fixator Project

Traumatic limb injuries from Israeli military attacks remain a frequent and challenging medical reality in Gaza. Orthopedic teams regularly treat complex open fractures while working with limited supplies, displaced staff, and interruptions to surgical capacity. In this environment, fracture-stabilization tools like external fixators are essential — yet they are often unavailable, delayed, or impossible to import when urgently needed.

In August 2025, Glia began developing an open-source external fixator engineered specifically for local manufacturing inside Gaza. The project draws inspiration from the early work of Dr. Anthony Turnbull and Dr. Mehdi Saeidi at Imperial College London, UK, whose research demonstrated the feasibility of low-cost, rapidly produced fixators for emergency settings. Glia’s team advanced this concept through direct collaboration with surgeons and engineers on the ground, iterating the device to reflect clinical needs, local material realities, and the constraints of working during ongoing conflict.

Despite widespread material shortages and disruptions to surgical activity — including the displacement of medical staff from Al-Ahli Hospital — the team completed multiple design iterations, produced complete kits locally, and applied the device in surgery on August 24, 2025. Early clinical follow-up showed strong healing progress, and Glia is preparing for expanded clinical use in collaboration with orthopedic teams, pending discussions with the Ministry of Health.

The Glia External Fixator Project aims to develop a stable, reliable, and locally manufacturable fixation device that enables fracture stabilization. The project focuses on creating a fixator that is clinically safe, straightforward to assemble, compatible with locally sourced hardware, and durable enough to support patients through the full course of fracture healing.

The long-term goal is to make sure Gaza’s orthopedic teams have a reliable, locally made fixator they can access and maintain. By publishing all designs openly, the project enables local teams — and teams elsewhere facing similar constraints — to manufacture, adapt, and improve the device without restriction.

Since launching the External Fixator Project, Glia has successfully developed a working fixation system that can be manufactured and assembled entirely inside Gaza using locally sourced hardware and 3D-printed components. Early collaboration with orthopedic teams was essential, allowing the design to evolve in direct response to real clinical needs, material constraints, and on-the-ground feedback.

The first surgical use of the fixator marked a major milestone for the project. The device performed reliably, and the care team reported strong early healing progress. Continuous follow-up with clinicians has provided valuable insight into assembly workflow, mechanical performance, and patient recovery — guiding ongoing refinements to stability, durability, and ease of use.

Additional clinical cases have since followed as security conditions and hospital capacity have allowed. Each case contributes essential real-world data that helps strengthen the device, confirm its reliability, and inform future improvements as the project moves toward broader clinical use.

At the same time, Glia has secured consistent access to high-quality metal hardware, established a safe material standard for printed components, and ensured that all design files, instructions, and updates are published openly.