title: Modifications to the transverse Caspar cervical retractor blades optimized for a single-level anterior cervical discectomy.
abstract: A modification of the transverse Caspar cervical soft-tissue retractor blades for their use in a single-level anterior cervical discectomy is presented. These modified retractor blades are similarly inserted into the elevated anterior mesial portion of the longus colli muscles. However, they allow a smaller skin incision, less soft-tissue dissection, and do not require use of the superior and inferior smooth retractor blades, while providing the same surgical vision and operative ability in the disc space as does the four-bladed Caspar retractor system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Geisler
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Tamargo
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Weingart
mesh_terms: D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000601:surgery*; D013523:Surgical Equipment