A tenaculum is a

surgical instrument A surgical instrument is a medical device for performing specific actions or carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of ...

, usually classified as a type of

forceps Forceps (: forceps or considered a plural noun without a singular, often a pair of forceps; the Latin plural ''forcipes'' is no longer recorded in most dictionaries) are a handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects. Forcep ...

. It consists of a slender sharp-pointed hook attached to a handle and is used mainly in surgery for seizing and holding parts, such as blood vessels.> tenaculum
Retrieved August 2010 Uses include: *Steadying the

cervix The cervix (: cervices) or cervix uteri is a dynamic fibromuscular sexual organ of the female reproductive system that connects the vagina with the uterine cavity. The human female cervix has been documented anatomically since at least the time ...

and

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', : uteri or uteruses) or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic and prenatal development, f ...

, as is done during insertion of an

intrauterine device An intrauterine device (IUD), also known as an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD or ICD) or coil, is a small, often T-shaped birth control device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. IUDs are a form of long-acting rever ...

or during a

surgical abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnanci ...

Birth Control Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)
Author: Omnia M Samra. Last Editorial Review: 5/18/2006 (although recent research indicates that an

Allis clamp Allis may refer to: People * Allis (surname) Places * Allis Township, Michigan * North Allis Township, Michigan * West Allis, Wisconsin Other * Allis-Chalmers, a former manufacturer of farm equipment based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin * Big Al ...

may be better suited for those tasks, as it is less likely to cause bleeding complications). *Seizing and holding arteries in various surgical procedures.

History

The tenaculum has been commonly used in

gynecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences) is the area of medicine concerned with conditions affecting the Female reproductive system, female reproductive system. It is often paired with the field of obste ...

for over a century. The predecessor of cervical tenaculum was a forceps bullet extractor – a common surgeon’s tool used to extract bullets on the battlefields. During the

Civil War in the United States The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded fr ...

, this tool was used to remove bullets from the patient’s body or to pull out arteries to tie them off. Inspired by the shape of the bullet extractor, Samuel Jean Pozzi, a pioneer of modern gynecology, developed, at the end of 19th century, a gynecological tool called the Pozzi forceps, also known as the tenaculum. Since then, its shape has hardly changed and persists until today. An alternative suction-based device was approved by the FDA in 2023 and by the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the UK in 2024 but as of 2024 is not available for sale.

References

Surgical instruments {{medical-equipment-stub

History

See also

References