A rib spreader, also known as Finochietto retractor, is a type of
retractor specifically designed to separate
ribs in
thoracic surgery
Cardiothoracic surgery is the field of medicine involved in surgical treatment of organs inside the thoracic cavity — generally treatment of conditions of the heart (heart disease), lungs (lung disease), and other pleural or mediastinal stru ...
.
Rack-and-pinion
A rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that comprises a circular gear (the ''pinion'') engaging a linear gear (the ''rack''). Together, they convert rotational motion into linear motion. Rotating the pinion causes the rack to be driven i ...
-type stainless steel rib spreaders (with a thumb-screw to lock it in place) were an innovation introduced by French surgeon Theodore Truffier in 1914. This was modified in 1936 by Argentinian surgeon
Enrique Finochietto to have
fenestrated blades (blades with "windows") and a hand-cranked lever to both separate the arms in a staged fashion and lock them in place at each stop. The Burford–Finochietto rib spreader has replaceable blades. The Tuffier and especially the Burford–Finochietto (and its variants) are ubiquitous in open thoracic surgery. Recently, a new intelligent, automated rib spreader in development demonstrated results superior to the Finochietto-style retractors.
See also
*
Instruments used in general surgery
There are many different surgical specialties, some of which require very specific kinds of surgical instruments to perform.
General surgery is a specialty focused on the abdominal contents, as well as the thyroid gland, and diseases involving ...
References
Surgical instruments
Argentine inventions
{{medical-equipment-stub