A spine
retractor provides lateral access to the spine for distracting
soft tissue and psoas
muscle for
spinal fusion procedures utilizing position controllable blades. The
retractor allows concerted linear
distraction of two lateral blades and separate linear
distraction of one medial blade. Individual angulation assemblies associated with each blade provides separately controllable angulation. Handles attached to the two lateral blades control their
distraction while a medial knob controls medial blade distraction. An expansion knob associated with each
handle provides individually precise distraction of its associated blade. Each angulation
assembly comprises an angulation knob that threads into a distal arm of a blade holder
assembly and is received into a spherical ball seated in a spherical pocket in a
mating proximal arm of the blade holder
assembly. Torque applied to the spherical ball by the angulation knob causes distal arm angulation relative to the proximal. Each distal arm holds a blade assembly having a blade.