title: The "meat hook" or "dog chain" retractors: a simple method of costal margin and sternal elevation retraction.
abstract: A brief history of sternal elevation retractors is given, and the authors detail their own method of sternal elevation and costal margin retraction, showing it to be an inexpensive, and a much simpler, more effective, and more efficient system than any other in use at this time.
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000601:surgery*; D008722:Methods; D013248:Sternocostal Joints / Q000601:surgery*; D013525:Surgical Instruments / Q000191:economics