{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,6]],"date-time":"2026-05-06T17:03:49Z","timestamp":1778087029845,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":104,"publisher":"Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)","issue":"4","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["FOC"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2014,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Early neurosurgical procedures dealt mainly with treatment of head trauma, especially skull fractures. Since the early medical writings by Hippocrates, a great deal of respect was given to the dura mater, and many other surgeons warned against violating the dura. It was not until the 19th century that neurosurgeons started venturing beneath the dura, deep into the brain parenchyma. With this advancement, brain retraction became an essential component of intracranial surgery. Over the years brain retractors have been created pragmatically to provide better visualization, increased articulations and degrees of freedom, greater stability, less brain retraction injury, and less user effort. Brain retractors have evolved from simple handheld retractors to intricate brain-retraction systems with hand-rest stabilizers. This paper will focus on the history of brain retractors, the different types of retractors, and the progression from one form to another.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3171\/2014.2.focus13564","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,4,7]],"date-time":"2014-04-07T17:53:35Z","timestamp":1396893215000},"page":"E8","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":45,"title":["The history of brain retractors throughout the development of neurological surgery"],"prefix":"10.3171","volume":"36","author":[{"given":"Rachid","family":"Assina","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey; and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sebastian","family":"Rubino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Christina E.","family":"Sarris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey; and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Chirag D.","family":"Gandhi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey; and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Charles J.","family":"Prestigiacomo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurological Surgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey; and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1754","reference":[{"key":"b1-0360008","series-title":"Surg Gynecol Obstet","first-page":"352","article-title":"Preservation of the motor root of the gasserian ganglion during the division of the sensory root for trifacial neuralgia","volume":"35","author":"Adson","year":"1922"},{"key":"b2-0360008","series-title":"De Fractura Cranii Liber Aureus: Hactenus Desideratus","author":"Berengario da Carpi","year":"1629"},{"key":"b3-0360008","series-title":"Septi\u00e8me Congr\u00e8s de la Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Internationale de Chirurgie, Rome, 7\u201310 Avril 1926: Rapports, Proc\u00e8s-Verbaux et Discussions","first-page":"778","article-title":"Zur Technik der osteoplastischen Resektion des Schadels, knochen and Duraplastick bei der Behandlung von Hirntumoren","volume":"1","author":"Brun","year":"1926"},{"key":"b4-0360008","series-title":"A Profitable and Necessarie Booke of Observations, for all Those That Are Burned With the Flame of Gun Powder, &c.: and Also For Curing of Wounds Made With Musket and Caliber Shot, and Other Weapons of War . . . Augmented in the Yeere of our Lorde 1596","author":"Clowes","year":"1596"},{"key":"b5-0360008","series-title":"Surg Gynecol Obstet","first-page":"1","article-title":"A method of combining exploration and decompression for cerebral tumors which prove to be inoperable","volume":"9","author":"Cushing","year":"1909"},{"key":"b6-0360008","series-title":"Surg Gynecol Obstet","first-page":"751","article-title":"Electro-Surgery as an Aid to the Removal of Intracranial Tumors: With a Preliminary Note on a New Surgical Current Generator","volume":"47","author":"Cushing","year":"1928"},{"key":"b7-0360008","series-title":"Surg Gynecol Obstet","first-page":"129","article-title":"An operation for the total removal of cerebellopontine (acoustic) tumors","volume":"41","author":"Dandy","year":"1925"},{"key":"b8-0360008","series-title":"Gaz Hop Paris","first-page":"2045","article-title":"La technique op\u00e9ratoire en chirurgie nerveuse","volume":"86","author":"de Martel","year":"1913"},{"key":"b9-0360008","series-title":"Am J Otol","first-page":"373","article-title":"Extradural temporal lobe retraction in the middle fossa approach to the internal auditory canal: biomechanical analysis","volume":"20","author":"Driscoll","year":"1999"},{"key":"b10-0360008","series-title":"Neurol Res","first-page":"675","article-title":"Brain retractor systems","volume":"32","author":"Dujovny","year":"2010"},{"key":"b11-0360008","series-title":"JAMA","first-page":"25","article-title":"A new instrument combining suction and irrigation for intracranial surgery","volume":"89","author":"Fay","year":"1927"},{"key":"b12-0360008","series-title":"A Guide to Operations on the Brain","author":"Fraser","year":"1890"},{"key":"b13-0360008","series-title":"Ann Surg","first-page":"328","article-title":"A surgical approach to the sphenopalatine ganglion","volume":"74","author":"Frazier","year":"1921"},{"key":"b14-0360008","series-title":"Neurosurgery","first-page":"205","article-title":"Self-retaining retractor and hand-rest system for neurosurgery","volume":"8","author":"Greenberg","year":"1981"},{"key":"b15-0360008","series-title":"Neurosurgery","first-page":"696","article-title":"Staircase concept of instrument placement in microsurgery","volume":"9","author":"Greenberg","year":"1981"},{"key":"b16-0360008","series-title":"Geschichte der Chirurgie und ihrer Aus\u00fcbung: Volkschirurgie, Alterthum, Mittelalter, Renaissance","author":"Gurlt","year":"1898"},{"key":"b17-0360008","series-title":"Am J Surg","first-page":"732","article-title":"Mechanical holder for retractors in neurosurgery","volume":"36","author":"Hamby","year":"1937"},{"key":"b18-0360008","series-title":"The London Medical Record","volume":"14","year":"1886"},{"key":"b19-0360008","series-title":"Ann Surg","first-page":"456","article-title":"Philadelphia Academy of Surgery stated meeting, December 1, 1902","volume":"37","author":"Harte","year":"1903"},{"key":"b20-0360008","series-title":"Arch Klin Chir","first-page":"849","article-title":"Ueber Exstirpation von Hirngeschw\u00fclsten","volume":"68","author":"Heidenhain","year":"1901"},{"key":"b21-0360008","series-title":"Surg Technol Int","first-page":"47","article-title":"Use of transparent plastic tubular retractor in surgery for deep brain lesions: a case series","volume":"19","author":"Herrera","year":"2010"},{"key":"b22-0360008","series-title":"On Injuries of the Head","author":"Hippocrates"},{"key":"b23-0360008","series-title":"Br J Surg","first-page":"631","article-title":"The history and development of neurological surgery. 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Augmented in the Yeere of our Lorde 1596","author":"Clowes","year":"1596"},{"key":"b5-0360008","series-title":"Surg Gynecol Obstet","first-page":"1","article-title":"A method of combining exploration and decompression for cerebral tumors which prove to be inoperable","volume":"9","author":"Cushing","year":"1909"},{"key":"b6-0360008","series-title":"Surg Gynecol Obstet","first-page":"751","article-title":"Electro-Surgery as an Aid to the Removal of Intracranial Tumors: With a Preliminary Note on a New Surgical Current Generator","volume":"47","author":"Cushing","year":"1928"},{"key":"b7-0360008","series-title":"Surg Gynecol Obstet","first-page":"129","article-title":"An operation for the total removal of cerebellopontine (acoustic) tumors","volume":"41","author":"Dandy","year":"1925"},{"key":"b8-0360008","series-title":"Gaz Hop Paris","first-page":"2045","article-title":"La technique op\u00e9ratoire en chirurgie nerveuse","volume":"86","author":"de Martel","year":"1913"},{"key":"b9-0360008","series-title":"Am J Otol","first-page":"373","article-title":"Extradural temporal lobe retraction in the middle fossa approach to the internal auditory canal: biomechanical analysis","volume":"20","author":"Driscoll","year":"1999"},{"key":"b10-0360008","series-title":"Neurol Res","first-page":"675","article-title":"Brain retractor systems","volume":"32","author":"Dujovny","year":"2010"},{"key":"b11-0360008","series-title":"JAMA","first-page":"25","article-title":"A new instrument combining suction and irrigation for intracranial surgery","volume":"89","author":"Fay","year":"1927"},{"key":"b12-0360008","series-title":"A Guide to Operations on the Brain","author":"Fraser","year":"1890"},{"key":"b13-0360008","series-title":"Ann Surg","first-page":"328","article-title":"A surgical approach to the sphenopalatine ganglion","volume":"74","author":"Frazier","year":"1921"},{"key":"b14-0360008","series-title":"Neurosurgery","first-page":"205","article-title":"Self-retaining retractor and hand-rest system for neurosurgery","volume":"8","author":"Greenberg","year":"1981"},{"key":"b15-0360008","series-title":"Neurosurgery","first-page":"696","article-title":"Staircase concept of instrument placement in microsurgery","volume":"9","author":"Greenberg","year":"1981"},{"key":"b16-0360008","series-title":"Geschichte der Chirurgie und ihrer Aus\u00fcbung: Volkschirurgie, Alterthum, Mittelalter, Renaissance","author":"Gurlt","year":"1898"},{"key":"b17-0360008","series-title":"Am J Surg","first-page":"732","article-title":"Mechanical holder for retractors in neurosurgery","volume":"36","author":"Hamby","year":"1937"},{"key":"b18-0360008","series-title":"The London Medical Record","volume":"14","year":"1886"},{"key":"b19-0360008","series-title":"Ann Surg","first-page":"456","article-title":"Philadelphia Academy of Surgery stated meeting, December 1, 1902","volume":"37","author":"Harte","year":"1903"},{"key":"b20-0360008","series-title":"Arch Klin Chir","first-page":"849","article-title":"Ueber Exstirpation von Hirngeschw\u00fclsten","volume":"68","author":"Heidenhain","year":"1901"},{"key":"b21-0360008","series-title":"Surg Technol Int","first-page":"47","article-title":"Use of transparent plastic tubular retractor in surgery for deep brain lesions: a case series","volume":"19","author":"Herrera","year":"2010"},{"key":"b22-0360008","series-title":"On Injuries of the Head","author":"Hippocrates"},{"key":"b23-0360008","series-title":"Br J Surg","first-page":"631","article-title":"The history and development of neurological surgery. By Ernest Sachs, A.B., M.D., Research Associate in Physiology, Yale University, New Haven; formerly Professor of Clinical Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis. 5 1\/2 \u00d7 8 in. Pp. 158, with 50 illustrations, as plates. 1953. London: Cassell & Co. 30s","volume":"40","year":"1953"},{"key":"b24-0360008","series-title":"Br Med J","first-page":"411","article-title":"On the technique of operations on the central nervous system","volume":"2","author":"Horsley","year":"1906"},{"key":"b25-0360008","series-title":"Atlas of Skull Base Surgery and Neurotology","author":"Jackler","year":"2009"},{"key":"b26-0360008","series-title":"The Operations of Surgery","author":"Jacobson","year":"1915"},{"key":"b27-0360008","series-title":"The Neurosurgical Approach to the Relief From Pain","author":"Jannetta","year":"1973"},{"key":"b28-0360008","series-title":"J Neurosurg","first-page":"835","article-title":"Extracranial holded for brain retractors. 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