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Surgical retractors designed to temporarily separate and hold back the edges of a back or thoracic incision, exposing and providing access to a segment of the spinal (e.g., cervical, thoracic, lumbar) structures. Spine retractors are handheld, manual instruments available in a variety of shapes and styles, usually including blunt distal blades and an integral handle according to the spinal structure to be exposed or retracted. Some spinal retractors can retain the position once they are set (i.e., self-retained retractors). Dedicated spinal retractors are available for particular spine areas (e.g., cervical, lumbar) and/or to perform particular procedures in the spine (e.g., laminectomy).
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