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Short answer: A rib spreader, often called a Finochietto retractor, is a reusable, hand-operated, self-locking surgical instrument whose two blades hook over adjacent ribs so they can be held apart in the chest. In the United States the instruments are listed under Class I product codes, mostly GAD (21 CFR 878.4800), and catalogues state size in several incompatible ways. This page is general product information, not medical advice and not a procedure guide.
Definition and scope
“Finochietto” is a catalogue name, not an FDA device type. FDA’s product classification database lists product code GAD as “Retractor”, Class I, regulation 21 CFR 878.4800 (manual surgical instrument for general use), General and Plastic Surgery panel. Under 878.4800(b) the device is exempt from premarket notification (510(k)), subject to the limitations in 21 CFR 878.9. The regulation text and product-code record were checked on 2026-10-30. Class I status is a statement about regulatory controls; it says nothing about whether a given instrument suits a given setting.
The GMDN nomenclature used in FDA’s device identifier database has a dedicated term, “Rib spreader, reusable”. Its definition reads: “A self-locking surgical instrument designed to force apart two adjacent ribs to permit examination or intervention in the thoracic cavity. This device will typically have two interchangeable blades at the distal end that hook over the ribs to be parted, and a ratchet mechanism along its horizontal bar to adjust the blades and maintain its set position once it has been set. It is also known as a rib retractor and is available in various designs and sizes.” The same definition says stainless steel is typical, with aluminium used for some paediatric types. Not every record uses that term: the Aesculap record described below carries the GMDN term “Self-retaining surgical retractor, reusable” (code 45182), whose definition says it is not intended to retract the ribs, so the name on a listing and the GMDN term do not always agree. For how GMDN terms work, see the guide to the GMDN code.
How it is described in practice
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ standard products catalogue describes its “Spreader, rib, Finochietto, medium” as an item “used to spread the ribs for access during thoracic surgery”, made of martensitic or austenitic steel (the catalogue page shows a last-updated date of 31 December 2018). The catalogue lists the blade as 62 x 52 mm in the item name and as 65 mm width x 45 mm depth in the specification, a small example of how one item can carry two sets of numbers.
A record in FDA’s AccessGUDID for an Aesculap instrument (model FC043A) reads: “FINOCHIETTO Rib Spreader, complete set, 7″, (180 mm), medium, blades 42 x 61 mm, width: 245 mm, aluminium, non-sterile, reusable”. It is flagged reusable and prescription-use. The record shows that a single description can mix a spread in inches and millimetres, a size word and blade dimensions.
Types and how listings are coded
On 2026-10-30 a search of openFDA’s device identifier (GUDID) data for “finochietto” in the device description returned 366 records. Many are other instruments that share the surname (needle holders and forceps, for example). Narrowing to the 258 records that describe a rib spreader or retractor, or carry the GMDN term “Rib spreader, reusable”, gives the figures below. These are manufacturer-submitted entries, and openFDA states that its results are unvalidated.
| Item in the 258 records | Count |
|---|---|
| GMDN term “Rib spreader, reusable” | 184 |
| Product code GAD, “Retractor” (Class I, 21 CFR 878.4800) | 130 |
| Product code DWS, “Instruments, Surgical, Cardiovascular” (Class I, 21 CFR 870.4500) | 93 |
| Product code FFO, “Retractor, Self-Retaining” (Class I, 21 CFR 876.4730) | 27 |
| Flagged single-use | 16 |
| Flagged not single-use | 242 |
A record can carry more than one product code, so the code rows overlap. The practical point is that the same kind of instrument is filed under different codes and regulations depending on the submitting manufacturer.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
Records in the same 258 show that size is expressed in at least four ways, which matters when two catalogues are compared line by line.
| How the size is written | Records | Example from a record |
|---|---|---|
| The word “spread” | 131 | “Finochietto Rib Spreader, 12-1/4″ Spread, Blades 2-1/4″ x 2-5/8″, Standard Size, Curved” |
| The word “opening” | 19 | “Finochietto Rib Spreader 2 5/8″ [65mm] x 1 3/4″ [50mm] with 7 3/4″ [200mm] opening” |
| The word “blade” or “blades” | 119 | “blades 42 x 61 mm” (Aesculap record above) |
| Age or size words (small, medium, large, infant, pediatric and similar) | 61 size words, 82 age words | “Finochietto rib spreader, newborn, 54.0mm x 52.0mm x 16.0mm x 13.0mm” |
| Millimetres only / inches only / both | 74 contain mm; 134 contain inches; 30 contain both | “DeBakey (Mini-Finochietto) rib spreader, infant, 86.0mm x 60.0mm x 19.0mm x 16.0mm” |
| No number at all in the description | 65 | “Finochietto Rib Spreader” |
Counts are from word and pattern matches on the description field and can overlap. They are descriptive of GUDID text, not a ranking of manufacturers.
Checklist for comparing two listings. Each item below is a field that the records above show varies between listings:
- Is the number a spread, an opening, a blade size or an overall length? These are different dimensions.
- Are blade numbers width x depth, or depth x width, and are they metric or imperial? The Red Cross entry shows both orders for one item.
- Is the size word (small, medium, standard, infant, pediatric) defined by the manufacturer? The records use the words without a shared scale.
- Which material is stated (steel or aluminium) and is the item flagged reusable or single-use?
- Does the description say complete set or instrument only, and does it name interchangeable blades?
- What product code and GMDN term does the record carry?
The manufacturer’s instructions for use and the AccessGUDID record for the specific model are the places to confirm an item; a catalogue line is not a specification.
Other self-retaining and hand-held retractors are described in the guides to surgical retractors, the Alexis retractor and the Langenbeck retractor.
Common misunderstandings
- “Finochietto” is not a single standard size or design. The 258 records include Burford, Haight, Rienhoff, DeBakey and Mini variants under the same surname family, in sizes from newborn to adult.
- Class I does not mean uniform. The same instrument type appears under general-surgery, cardiovascular and self-retaining retractor product codes.
- A product code is not a product name. GAD is labelled “Retractor” in FDA’s classification database, not “rib spreader”.
FAQ
What is a rib spreader?
A reusable, self-locking surgical instrument with two blades that hook over adjacent ribs and a ratchet or rack mechanism to hold them apart, per the GMDN definition quoted above.
Is a Finochietto retractor the same as a rib spreader?
The GMDN definition says a rib spreader is also known as a rib retractor, and catalogues use “Finochietto” as a name for a rib spreader design. Some other instruments also carry the Finochietto name.
How does FDA classify a rib spreader?
Records are most often filed under product code GAD (Class I, 21 CFR 878.4800, 510(k)-exempt), but records also appear under DWS and FFO, both also Class I, as of 2026-10-30.
How is rib spreader size stated in catalogues?
There is no single convention. Records in FDA’s device identifier data give size as a spread, an opening, a blade size, a size word such as medium or infant, or not at all, in millimetres, inches or both (see the table above).
Sources
- FDA, Product Classification, code GAD, checked 2026-10-30.
- Cornell Legal Information Institute, 21 CFR 878.4800, checked 2026-10-30.
- FDA, openFDA device identifier (GUDID) API, checked 2026-10-30.
- National Library of Medicine, AccessGUDID record 04038653158683, checked 2026-10-30.
- IFRC and ICRC, Standard products catalogue, Spreaders, rib, Finochietto, checked 2026-10-30.
