Cranioclast

Cranioclast: Tool for manipulating bones

A cranioclast, also known as a craniotractor or obstetric bone forceps, is a medical instrument used to manipulate and crush bones. This instrument has a wide range of applications in various medical fields, including neurosurgery, orthopedics and obstetrics. It allows doctors to perform a variety of bone-related procedures with minimal impact on surrounding tissue.

The name "cranioclast" comes from the Greek word "klastos", meaning "broken into pieces" or "crushed", and the prefix "cranio-", referring to the skull. This reflects the main purpose of the instrument - manipulation of the bone structures of the skull.

In neurosurgery, the cranioclast is used to open the skull and access the brain. It can be used to remove tumors, treat seizures, improve blood flow, and other surgical procedures that require access to the brain through the skull.

In orthopedics, cranioclast can be used to crush and remove bone fragments during fractures. It provides precise and controlled manipulation of bone, allowing surgeons to restore normal skeletal anatomy and function.

Cranioclast is also used in obstetrics, especially during difficult childbirth, when there are problems with the passage of the fetus through the birth canal. The tool allows doctors to gently manipulate the bony structures of the mother's pelvis to ease the birth process and reduce the risk of injury to both mother and baby.

Cranioclast is usually made from strong and inflexible materials such as stainless steel, which ensures its strength and durability. It has a specially designed design that allows the surgeon to precisely manipulate the instrument and control the force of bone crushing.

It should be noted that the use of cranioclast requires a high level of skill and experience on the part of the surgeon. Improper use of the instrument can lead to serious complications such as damage to surrounding tissue, bleeding, or infection.

In conclusion, the cranioclast is an important tool in medicine for the manipulation and crushing of bones. It is widely used in neurosurgery, orthopedics and obstetrics, allowing doctors to perform various procedures on bone structures with minimal impact on surrounding tissue. However, the use of cranioclast requires experience and skill on the part of the surgeon to avoid possible complications. As medical technology advances and new tools become available, the role of the cranioclast may change and improve, opening up new opportunities for more precise and safer bone manipulation procedures.

CRANIOCLAST

Cranioclast (from Latin cranium “skull”, Greek κλάστος “to destroy”): * is an obstetric instrument, a kind of forceps, used for pulling the fetus out of the womb by the head during childbirth.

The cranioclast has a handle, a long working part in the shape of a slingshot, on which there are teeth. Cranioclasts are made of steel. The heads of syphilitic fetuses are often thinned, insufficiently awake, and broken off when cranioclasts are used: hence the name of some forceps "brain breaker." In the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, external obstetric forceps were usually called cranioclast, but since the 50s of the 20th century, due to a more precise definition of their name, this term is used only for “bone forceps” used to extract the child. In them, the head and shoulders of the fetus are grasped by the handle. The use of cranioclast is associated with great difficulties: grasping the head and neck of the fetus, due to the great length and flexibility of the handle, sometimes takes tens of minutes; To complete the birth, the use of other obstetric instruments (forceps, etc.) and the assistance of a specialist doctor are often required. In some cases, the use of craneoclast is possible only with the provision of appropriate equipment and tools. To exclude the possibility of injury to the mother and fetus, craniolax should be used only under the direct supervision of an obstetrician-gynecologist. In this case, local anesthesia is possible.

Grasp the handle of the cranioclast forceps with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. The front edge of the handle must be pressed against the fetal head, and then the base of the handle must be brought to the lower jaw and the fetal head must be pulled forward and downward through the pinch. With the working part of the forceps inserted into the suboccipital fossa, grasp the handle from the outside with the thumb of your right hand. The fingers of the right hand cover the head with the frontal tubercles (or part of it), holding the handle in the left fist. Thus, the end of the handle with the forked part on