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Thoracic wall surgical retractors designed to temporarily separate and hold back the edges of an incision around the ribs, exposing and providing access to tissues, thoracic structures, and/or organs, with a mechanism that retains its position once set (i.e., self-retained retractors). These retractors usually include a very sturdy mechanism with blunt distal blades that are strong enough to hold back the ribs widely separated; the opening mechanism usually includes two blades that are moved along a frame that ensures that the blades remain parallel to one another as they move apart. Self-retained rib thoracic retractors (also known as rib spreaders) are provided in a variety of blade shapes and configurations.
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