US Patent 10172601 Spine retractor

A spinal retractor system is provided to protect important structures of a patient while the surgeon performs surgery on spinal elements of the patient. The system includes a retractor blade including a retractor tab, a side body, and an upper platform having a tool connector tab for mating with a matching blade holder tool for securely holding the retractor blade. The retractor blade also has a screw holder attached to the side body of the retractor blade for receiving a bone screw provided in a channel of the screw holder A screwdriver is used to drive the bone screw into a vertebra of a patient, such as during an anterior spinal surgical procedure.