A device for the retraction of soft tissue in a patient undergoing arthroscopic surgery, comprising: - a pulling element extending in its own main direction between a first end and a second end; said second end being fitted with a non-flexible hooking body configured to pass through the soft tissue of a patient and engage in said soft tissue following the traction of the pulling element towards the first end; - a presser body suitable to press on the skin of said patient and connectable to the pulling element in at least one operating position placed at a fixed distance (d) from the second end; said fixed distance (d) being such as to define a housing for the layers of soft tissue of the patient engaged by the non-flexible hooking body, wherein said pulling element comprises a stem extending in the main direction between the first and the second end, wherein said non-flexible hooking body is rotatably joined to said stem, at the second end, to move between a first position, in which it is aligned with said stem, and a second position, in which it is transverse to said stem, wherein the pulling element comprises a manoeuvring group operable by an operator and joined to said non-flexible hooking body to move it between the first and the second position and comprising: a control body, manoeuvrable by the operator, a transmission member operatively interposed between the control body and the non-flexible hooking body and comprising a rod or cable slidingly inserted in the stem and connected to the non-flexible hooking body so that a translation of the rod or cable corresponds to a rotation of the non-flexible hooking body. - a pulling element extending in its own main direction between a first end and a second end; said second end being fitted with a non-flexible hooking body configured to pass through the soft tissue of a patient and engage in said soft tissue following the traction of the pulling element towards the first end; - a presser body suitable to press on the skin of said patient and connectable to the pulling element in at least one operating position placed at a fixed distance (d) from the second end; said fixed distance (d) being such as to define a housing for the layers of soft tissue of the patient engaged by the non-flexible hooking body, wherein said pulling element comprises a stem extending in the main direction between the first and the second end, wherein said non-flexible hooking body is rotatably joined to said stem, at the second end, to move between a first position, in which it is aligned with said stem, and a second position, in which it is transverse to said stem, wherein the pulling element comprises a manoeuvring group operable by an operator and joined to said non-flexible hooking body to move it between the first and the second position and comprising: a control body, manoeuvrable by the operator, a transmission member operatively interposed between the control body and the non-flexible hooking body and comprising a rod or cable slidingly inserted in the stem and connected to the non-flexible hooking body so that a translation of the rod or cable corresponds to a rotation of the non-flexible hooking body. a control body, manoeuvrable by the operator, a transmission member operatively interposed between the control body and the non-flexible hooking body and comprising a rod or cable slidingly inserted in the stem and connected to the non-flexible hooking body so that a translation of the rod or cable corresponds to a rotation of the non-flexible hooking body.