| abstract |
A combined surgical drill guide and retractor is useful for treating fractures in the craniomaxillofacial region. The device comprises an L-shaped member having a first short leg and a second long leg, a major retractor extending away from the first leg in a first direction and a minor retractor extending away from the first leg in an opposite direction, an outer sleeve mounted on the first leg, an inner sleeve telescoped within the bore of the outer sleeve, and a lever hingedly mounted on the second leg of the L-shaped member for carrying out a scissoring movement in cooperation with the second leg. The major retractor and the minor retractor cooperate so that when they are inserted into an incision, they will retract the sides of the incision. The major retractor has an arcuate C-like shape so that it can extend around and behind a bone and thus act as a protective stop to prevent a drill bit from penetrating beyond the bone being drilled. The inner sleeve is slidable between a first retracted position and a second extended position to press against a template. The lever is mounted for scissoring movement on the second, long leg of the L-shaped member. When one end of the lever is pressed towards the long leg of the L-shaped member, the other end of the lever forces the inner sleeve to slide forward into its extended position up against a template in place along a reduced bone structure. After the holes are drilled, the template is fixed in place by surgical screws inserted into the holes. |