Lumbar spinal fusion retractor and distractor system

A lumbar laminectomy retractor system comprising;

• a retractor frame having parallel arms extending perpendicular to a crossbar, one of said arms being movable toward or away from the other;
• said parallel arms having first ends attached to said cross bar and free ends;
• a pair of retractor blades engaging free ends of said pair of parallel arms for spreading and retracting a surgical incision;
• tilting means for tilting said retractor blades;
• tilt adjusting means for continuously and independently adjusting a tilt angle of each of said retractor blades respectively after placement of said retractor frame;
• whereby the field of view during a surgical procedure can be enlarged by tilting said retracting blades.

A lumbar laminectomy distractor system comprising;

• a distractor frame having parallel arms extending perpendicular to a crossbar, one of said arms being movable toward or away from the other;
• a pair of distractor blades for engaging free ends of said parallel arms;
• fastening means for fastening said pair of distractor blades to adjacent vertebra;
• open-ended longitudinal guide means in said pair of distractor blades for receiving said fastening means;
• whereby said fastening means may be passed through said open-ended longitudinal guide means after placement of said distractor so that said distractor frame and pair of distractor blades are firmly held in place on a spinal column to provide a clear view of an operating site.