Biomaterial Database

The history and evolution of surgical instruments. VII. Spring forceps (tweezers), hooks and simple retractors. 1996

J Kirkup

Royal College of Surgeons of England, London.

Instruments manufactured by bending a basic metal strip or rod, either about its middle to create spring forceps (tweezers), or towards one extremity to create hooks and retractors are related structures. Spring forceps depend on tension mediated at the bend (hoop) or fixed end which is transmitted as dynamic 'spring' to the jaws, whereas the bend of hooks and retractors remains fixed and static. If such instruments refine the digital postures of pinch, pincer and retraction during surgery, they have not supplanted these manual actions entirely. After a brief historical introduction, the structure, modifications, functions and controls of spring forceps are analysed. Importantly, this instrument enjoys both right and left-handed functions, some of which are ancient, some transient as haemostats and needle-holders, and some, including left-handed dissection, surprisingly recent. Hooks are sharp or blunt and, among other functions, pre-date the left-handed spring forceps for dissection; in general hooks function as retractors. Hand-held retractors are enlarged blunt hooks, the wide retracting contact surface reducing trauma to wound margins and viscera. The physical effort of employing these retractors deep in body cavities is abated by applying them autostatically around a square or circular frame.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007839	Functional Laterality	Behavioral manifestations of cerebral dominance in which there is preferential use and superior functioning of either the left or the right side, as in the preferred use of the right hand or right foot.	Ambidexterity,Behavioral Laterality,Handedness,Laterality of Motor Control,Mirror Writing,Laterality, Behavioral,Laterality, Functional,Mirror Writings,Motor Control Laterality,Writing, Mirror,Writings, Mirror
D004210	Dissection	The separation and isolation of tissues for surgical purposes, or for the analysis or study of their structures.	Dissections
D013525	Surgical Instruments	Hand-held tools or implements used by health professionals for the performance of surgical tasks.	Clamps, Surgical,Clips, Surgical,Clips, Tantalum,Forceps,Hooks, Surgical,Plugs, Surgical,Scissors, Surgical,Speculum,Surgical Clamps,Surgical Clips,Surgical Hooks,Surgical Plugs,Surgical Scissors,Surgical Valves,Trocar,Valves, Surgical,Clamp, Surgical,Clip, Surgical,Clips,Hook, Surgical,Instrument, Surgical,Plug, Surgical,Surgical Clamp,Surgical Clip,Surgical Hook,Surgical Plug,Surgical Valve,Valve, Surgical,Clip,Clip, Tantalum,Forcep,Instruments, Surgical,Speculums,Surgical Instrument,Tantalum Clip,Tantalum Clips,Trocars
D049669	History, 16th Century	Time period from 1501 through 1600 of the common era.	16th Century History,16th Cent. History (Medicine),16th Cent. History of Medicine,16th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 16th Century,History of Medicine, 16th Cent.,History, Sixteenth Century,Medical History, 16th Cent.,Medicine, 16th Cent.,16th Cent. Histories (Medicine),16th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 16th (Medicine),Cent. History, 16th (Medicine),Century Histories, 16th,Century Histories, Sixteenth,Century History, 16th,Century History, Sixteenth,Histories, 16th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 16th Century,Histories, Sixteenth Century,History, 16th Cent. (Medicine),Sixteenth Century Histories,Sixteenth Century History
D049670	History, 17th Century	Time period from 1601 through 1700 of the common era.	17th Century History,17th Cent. History (Medicine),17th Cent. History of Medicine,17th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 17th Century,History of Medicine, 17th Cent.,History, Seventeenth Century,Medical History, 17th Cent.,Medicine, 17th Cent.,17th Cent. Histories (Medicine),17th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 17th (Medicine),Century Histories, Seventeenth,Century History, 17th,Century History, Seventeenth,Histories, 17th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 17th Century,Histories, Seventeenth Century,History, 17th Cent. (Medicine),Seventeenth Century Histories,Seventeenth Century History
D049671	History, 18th Century	Time period from 1701 through 1800 of the common era.	18th Century History,18th Cent. History (Medicine),18th Cent. History of Medicine,18th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 18th Century,History of Medicine, 18th Cent.,History, Eighteenth Century,Medical History, 18th Cent.,Medicine, 18th Cent.,18th Century Histories,Cent. History, 18th (Medicine),Cent. Medicine, 18th,Century Histories, 18th,Century Histories, Eighteenth,Century History, 18th,Century History, Eighteenth,Eighteenth Century Histories,Eighteenth Century History,Histories, 18th Century,Histories, Eighteenth Century,History, 18th Cent. (Medicine)
D049672	History, 19th Century	Time period from 1801 through 1900 of the common era.	19th Century History,19th Cent. History (Medicine),19th Cent. History of Medicine,19th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 19th Century,History of Medicine, 19th Cent.,History, Nineteenth Century,Medical History, 19th Cent.,Medicine, 19th Cent.,19th Cent. Histories (Medicine),19th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 19th (Medicine),Cent. History, 19th (Medicine),Century Histories, 19th,Century Histories, Nineteenth,Century History, 19th,Century History, Nineteenth,Histories, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 19th Century,Histories, Nineteenth Century,History, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Nineteenth Century Histories,Nineteenth Century History
D049673	History, 20th Century	Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.	20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History
D049690	History, Ancient	The period of history before 500 of the common era.	Ancient History,Ancient History (Medicine),Ancient History of Medicine,History of Medicine, Ancient,Medicine, Ancient History,Ancient Histories (Medicine),Ancient History Medicine,Ancient History Medicines,Histories, Ancient (Medicine),History Medicine, Ancient,History Medicines, Ancient,History, Ancient (Medicine),Medicine Ancient History,Medicines, Ancient History
D049691	History, Medieval	The period of history from the year 500 through 1450 of the common era.	Medieval History,History of Medicine, Medieval,History of Medicine, Renaissance,Medicine, Medieval History,Medicine, Renaissance,Medieval History (Medicine),Renaissance Medicine,Histories, Medieval (Medicine),History Medicine, Medieval,History, Medieval (Medicine),Medieval Histories (Medicine),Medieval History Medicine