Surgery


Retractor by PERCY

Retractor, diameter 165 mm, handles fixed

 

 

Sawing the bone at the same level as the soft tissues did not provide any material to cover the stump. CELSUS already mentions this problem: "During the operation, make sure that the remaining skin remains large enough to cover the entire stump. The Roman patient "walked on the bone", which was covered only with a thin layer of skin and at best subcutaneous fat - a painful affair if one wanted to use a prosthesis. Consequently, before cutting the bone, one tried not only to push up the skin, but also to push up all the soft tissues, thus saving a thick material for covering and cushioning the end of the bone.

 

Fabricius von HILDEN (1560-1634) developed a "trouser-sack", from which the stump of the bones looked down, while pulling the trouser-leg pulled the soft-tissue upwards. In the middle of the 18th century one used muscle hooks made of leather, with 2 openings for spoke and ulna resp. Tibia and fibula. These wound holders could not be cleaned. In 1800, there were the "muscle hooks" made of metal, with a single recess for the bone - illustrations can be found in Elisabeth Bennion, Old Medical Instruments, Sotheby 1979 pp. 52 and 53.

 

In 1799 Pierre-François PERCY (1754-1825) developed  a new retractor for the soft tissue package, which consisted of two almost identical parts articulated via a hinge. He had participated in the Napoleonic campaigns where he had collaborated with LARREY - so he knew what he was talking about when he spoke on issues of amputation.

 

"Complete amputation for amputation", as offered by German department stores around 1910 do not contain retractors - apparently, the retractor was more a French thing. Even today, the "Percy" with removable handles part of amputation sets - new price around 157 euros!

 

The retractor presented here comes from the discarded fund of the clinic Differdingen (which is only a few kilometers from the French border). As in the 18th century models, there are two openings here - the small one is square, the larger one is circular and has a diameter of 4 cm. No manufacturer information, only a size "2" on the screwed-on single handle.