Septum Straightening Forceps, Nasal Forceps and Cartilage Crushers
Instrument guides
Septum Straightening Forceps, Nasal Forceps and Cartilage Crushers
Which forceps reset and trim the septum, how cartilage crushers and morselizers prepare grafts, and the sizes we make.
Septum straightening forceps such as the Walsham and Asch grip the nasal bones or the septum to reposition them, in fracture reduction and septal surgery. Nasal forceps such as the Weil Blakesley and Takahashi grasp and remove tissue and small fragments. Cartilage instruments prepare grafts: a morselizer bruises cartilage so it bends, and a crusher flattens it to a chosen thickness on a block.
Where do these instruments come from?
Septal surgery as it is done today grew from submucous resection, made standard by Gustav Killian and Otto Freer in the early 1900s and covered in our elevator guide. Crushing or morselizing cartilage lets a surgeon reshape and reuse it as a graft rather than discard it. We have not found reliable histories for the individual eponyms (Walsham, Asch, Rubin), so we describe what each instrument does.
Which instruments do we make?
| Instrument | Sizes | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Walsham, left, right, universal | 23 cm | Repositioning nasal bones |
| Asch, angled | 22 cm | Straightening the septum |
| Cottle Fomon | 21 cm | Septal straightening |
| Weil Blakesley straight, 45 degree, 90 degree | 3, 3.6 or 4.2 mm jaws, 120 mm shaft | Grasping in the nose |
| Takahashi rongeur, Takahashi cutting | 120 mm, 14 cm | Removing small bone and tissue |
| Hurd bone cutting, Tebbetts septal platform | 16 to 18 cm | Cutting septal bone |
| Hartmann dressing | 18 or 20 cm | Packing and dressings |
| Rubin morselizer, Rubin TC morselizer | 21 cm, straight or angled | Softening cartilage |
| Cottle crusher, Gubisch crusher, Tolsdorf round | 65 x 30 mm | Flattening grafts |
| Cartilage cutting block, Rojdmark instrument | 100 x 65 x 12 mm | Cutting and shaping grafts |
Morselizer or crusher?
A morselizer bruises cartilage between textured jaws so it bends without breaking, which suits grafts that must follow a curve. A crusher flattens cartilage between two plates to an even thickness, which suits camouflage and onlay grafts. Many surgeons keep both. A cutting block gives a clean, firm surface for shaping grafts with a blade.
How should they be cleaned?
Brush the textured faces of morselizers and crushers, where cartilage packs in. Check that forceps jaws meet evenly and the joints move freely. Never leave instruments in saline, because it causes corrosion. Our instrument care guide gives the full routine, and the CDC guidance on cleaning instruments before sterilization explains why cleaning comes before the autoclave.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Walsham forceps used for?
Gripping and repositioning the nasal bones, for example when reducing a nasal fracture. It comes as left, right or universal.
What is the difference between a morselizer and a crusher?
A morselizer bruises cartilage so it bends. A crusher flattens it to an even thickness.
Which Weil Blakesley angle do I need?
Straight for direct access, 45 and 90 degree upturned jaws to reach above and around. Many sets carry all three.
Can these be autoclaved?
Yes, all are stainless steel. Clean the textured faces first.
Related instrument guides
- Septal and periosteal elevators
- Rhinoplasty osteotomes and chisels
- Killian vs Cottle nasal speculum
- Nasal rasp types for rhinoplasty
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