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What is a Kerrison Rongeur?

Author

Andrew Henderson

Published Mar 12, 2026

What is a Kerrison Rongeur?

A rongeur is heavy-duty surgical instrument with a sharp-edged, scoop-shaped tip, used for gouging out bone. Rongeur is a French word meaning rodent or ‘gnawer’. A common example of a surgical rongeur is the Kerrison rongeur, in which its first design was created by Dr.

What is a Kerrison punch?

Special KERRISON Bone Punches. Whether curved, bayonet-shaped, extra long, of intermediate size or with a large jaw – we have the specific punch for your specific situation. Laminectomy punches, with up to 66% larger jaw opening. These punches are used for spinal neurosurgical procedures, especially for Laminectomy.

What is a Kerrison used for in surgery?

Kerrison rongeurs were developed in otology to decompress bone near the facial nerve. The McCulloch, Caspar, and Cloward retractors helped improve exposure during the emergence of new techniques, i.e., microdiscectomy and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

How do you clean Kerrison rongeur?

Flush the instrument’s internal flush channel with the jaws open to remove dislodged gross soil and remaining debris or Page 3 ultrasonic detergent residue from inside the shaft. Wipe the instrument with a clean, soft cloth. Dry. Instruments must be thoroughly dried with a clean, soft cloth.

What is a curette used for?

thin metal tool called a curette is used to scrape (rather than vacuum out) the contents of the uterus, the procedure is called dilatation and curettage. When combined with dilatation, both evacuation and curettage can be used up to about the 16th week of pregnancy.

What is a Pennington used for?

They are commonly used for holding tissues that have been cut as part of a surgical process, that need to be sutured or for hemostasis. Pennington forceps are often used in OB/GYN procedures and have also been used to hold tissue in body piercing procedures.

How do you clean Kerrison Rongeur?

What are rongeurs used for?

Rongeurs are like pliers with a heavy, pointed jaw. With their heavy contrsuction, rongeurs are used for gnawing holes in bones during surgery. The scoop shaped tip of the rongeur is used for gouging the bone.

How do you test for Rongeur?

Rongeurs of various types can be tested for sharpness by observing that their jaws cut cleanly through an index card. Pituitary rongeurs should make a firm and even imprint on the index card. Bone and pin cutters and nail nippers can be tested by confirming that ¾ of their blade cut cleanly through an index card.

How do you clean a Rongeur?

Flush the instrument’s internal channels with enzymatic detergent with the jaws open to remove gross soil and debris from inside the shaft, clean each of the instrument’s components (jaws, hinges, handles and shaft) with a clean, appropriately sized soft-bristle brush to remove all organic debris.

How long do you bleed after a curette?

A small amount of bleeding (like a light period) may last for 10 to 14 days. Bleeding may become heavier with increased activity, such as lifting. You may: use sanitary pads.

When should you have a curette?

A curette is done in the following circumstances: You have heavy or persistent bleeding and/or pain. The medical staff advise that this is a better option for you; this may be because of the amount of tissue present, especially with a missed miscarriage.