Neurosurgical and Spine Instrument Vocabulary

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering specialized neurosurgical and spinal surgical instruments, their functions, and procedural anticipation steps based on lecture notes.

Kerrison Rongeur

An instrument used to take small bites of bone.

Pituitary Rongeur

An instrument used to grasp pieces of disc, tissue, or loose bone.

Bone Wax

Passed on a freer elevator and used as a barrier for bleeding bone.

Freer elevator

The instrument used to pass bone wax to the surgeon.

Raney Scalp Clip

Used for hemostasis and retraction of the scalp.

Raney Scalp Clip Appliers

Instruments used to place Raney Scalp Clips.

Adson-Beckman Retractor

Used for the retraction of spines and large anatomical structures.

Penfields

Instruments used for the dissection of dura from the cranium.

Bipolar bayonette

Used to cauterize delicate tissue and open up the pia mater.

Bayonette

Used to grasp delicate tissue and pass neuropatties.

Meyerding handheld retractor

Used for the retraction of tissue during spine and other neurosurgical procedures.

Taylor Spine retractor

Used for the retraction of tissue during spine procedures.

Mayfield horseshoe head stabilizer

A stabilization device used for the head during surgery.

Mayfield headrest & 3-pin fixation stabilizer

Stabilization equipment used for positioning the head.

Gardner-Wells Skull Tongs

Equipment used for skull stabilization.

Curettes

Used for scraping bone or removing bone and its contents.

Cobb Elevator

Used for scraping of tissues, prying, and retraction.

Frazier Suction

Provides controlled suction in small surgical spaces.

Yasargil aneurysm occluding clip

Used to cut off blood supply to a brain aneurysm; it kills the aneurysm and is left in the patient permanently.

Gerald Forceps

Used when suturing with very fine suture and grasping very small pieces of tissue.

Tubular Retractor

An instrument that dilates and holds a pathway into the spinal column to create a workspace.

Laminar Spreader

An instrument that slides between two pieces of bone and spreads them apart to create space.

Bonnie or Rat tooth

The type of forcep passed when the surgeon is using a needle holder with a large needle on fascia or tough tissue.

Adson

The forcep passed when the surgeon is using skin suture.

Debakey

The forcep passed when suturing bowel or working deeper into subcutaneous tissue.

Straight Mayo Scissors

The instrument passed next after a loaded needle holder and a forcep.

Kelly

The instrument a peanut is placed on for blunt dissection.

Bovie or Metz

Instruments used next after an incision is made into the skin.

weitlaner

A retractor used when the assistant needs to suction and cauterize but is currently retracting with ArmyNavys.

Neuropattie

Passed to the surgeon using a Bayonette, often soaked in thrombin.