The interaction of length, weight, handle-shape and balance define the “handling” characteristics of a surgical instrument.

Assiduous curetting of disc material requires a curette to work with, rather than against, the hand that guides it. The recent trend towards oversized handles has swiftly transported this popular feature to the very brink of its logical absurdity, resulting in designs that for some applications may be unwieldy, and prematurely fatiguing.

Our curettes feature compact handles of linen phenolic (a tightly wrapped linen encased in an autoclavable composite of a phenol, with an aldehyde) that carries a striking resemblance to the look, feel and mass of wood. At 275 mm in overall length, they can adequately reach into most wound sites while maintaining exceptional balance.

Originally, these instruments were available in only straight and forward angle versions, but recently, Buxton added a retro-angle version (a la Epstein) in the full range of sizes from 000 through 6.

Talking Back, Vol. 2, No. 2