Patent ID: 8360970

Claim:
A surgical access assembly comprising: a retractor having a first half and a second half, said second half clasping said first half to form a closed perimeter of oblong cross-section, said first half having smooth outer walls having substantially the shape of a “U” and a gapless contour adapted to distribute pressure evenly along said outer wall, minimize localized retraction pressure, and fit snugly within the inner walls of said second half and contoured to allow said inner walls of said second half to slide past said outer walls of said first half, smooth inner walls having substantially the shape of a “U” and said second half having smooth outer walls having substantially the shape of a “U” and a gapless contour adapted to distribute pressure evenly along said outer wall and to minimize localized retraction pressure, smooth inner walls having substantially the shape of a “U” and a gapless contour adapted to fit snugly outside the outer walls of said first half and contoured to allow said walls of said first half to slide past said walls of said second half, said first half and said second half adapted to receive a smooth and rounded introducer, allow expansion or contraction of said retractor by the sliding of said first half past said second half and said second half past said first half and provide a hollow access chamber, said surgical access assembly adapted to allow said surgical access chamber to be of variable size; and fixation shafts adapted to receive a fixating device; said smooth and rounded introducer having a continuous perimeter with no sharp edges, adapted with a contour and size to fit within said hollow access channel, and a length such that the distal end of the introducer protrudes past the distal end of said hollow access channel when inserted into said retractor thereby providing a protruding nub, and said nub forming a smooth contour; and a distractor adapted to affix to said retractor and further adapted to allow access of said fixating device into said fixating shaft while said distractor is affixed onto said retractor.