Correct selection of the scalpel blade and scalpel handle

After you have already seen in our scalpel category, we would like to give you a brief insight into the correct selection of the scalpel blade:

The correct blade shape of the scalpel blades is crucial for your work. There are different blade formulas depending on the area of ​​application.

For scalpel handle No. 3, blades No. 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

For scalpel handle No. 4, the blades are No. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27.

You can find out which scalpel blade size is suitable for your application and what the advantages are in our blog post.

To help you choose the right one, here is a small overview of blades for scalpel handle No. 4:

size 18 & 19: Equipment No.4. Fits grips 4, 4L, 4 graduated & 6B.

Size 25: Pointed & Straight Cutting Edge for Straight Cuts

Size 26: Straight & long cutting edge for larger cutting & sectioning work

Size 27: Equipment No. 4. Fits grips 4, 4L, 4 graduated & 6B.

Size 20:

With a curved cutting edge and a flat, unground back. It is used for orthopedic and general surgical procedures and fits into the No. 4 handles.

Size 21:

No. 21 is a large version of the No. 10 blade with a curved cutting edge and a flat, unground back edge. Larger than the No. 20 but smaller than the No. 22, the No. 21 fits handles 4, 4L, 4 Graduated & 6B.

Size 22:

The No. 22 blade is a large version of the No. 10 blade with a curved cutting edge and a flat, unground trailing edge. It is used for skin incisions in cardiothoracic surgery and for cutting the bronchus in lung resections. The No. 22 is larger than the No. 20 and No. 21 and fits handles 4, 4L, 4 Graduated and 6B.

Size 23:

The #23 is a "leaf-shaped" blade that is sharpened along its leading edge. It is used for long incisions, such as an upper midline incision of the abdomen in the repair of a perforated gastric ulcer. 23 fits handles 4, 4L, 4 graduated, and 6B.

Size No. 24:

The No. 24 blade is slightly larger than the No. 23 blade, has a more semi-circular shape and is sharpened further on the front edge. The No. 24 blade is used for long incisions in general surgery and autopsies and fits handles 4, 4L, 4 graduated and 6B.

Size No. 25:

The 25A blade (USA - #25) is a straight edged blade similar to the #11 blade but much larger. It has a more angled back edge so it is almost equilateral. The #25A fits the 4, 4L, 4 Graduated and 6B handles.

To help you choose the right one, here is a small overview of blades for scalpel handle No. 3:

size No. 6: Fits number 3. Fits grips 3, 3L, 3 graduated, 5B, 7, 9, B3 and B3L.

size No. 9: This distinctive, wide, "hatchet-shaped" blade is used in podiatry. Fit No. 3. Fits handles 3, 3L, 3 graduated, 5B, 7, 9, B3 and B3L.

size no. 10: The 10A is a straight blade with a strong point and fits handles 3, 3L, 3 graduated, 5B, 7, 9 and B3.The Swann-Morton 10A blade was the preferred tool for graphic artists for decades until desktop design packages changed the face of the design and printing industry. In addition to cutting type and Letraset, a sterile version was found to be perfect for minor surgical procedures, such as removing splinters and thorns, and eventually found its way into operating rooms alongside the more popular shapes.

size no. 11: The No. 11 is an elongated, triangular blade sharpened at the hypotenuse with a strong, pointed tip, ideal for stab incisions required when lancing an abscess or inserting a chest tube. It is held by the surgeon like a pencil and often upside down so that it is not accidentally inserted too deeply. To avoid this, the scalpel should not be held towards the rear end, but the heel of the hand should be placed on the skin to stabilize the hand and avoid an inadvertently deep incision.

The No.11 is also used for other small incisions, such as inserting a laparoscopic port, placing venous and arterial central lines, opening the aorta and removing calcifications of the aortic or mitral valves, anatomical dissections and surgical treatment of diseases of the foot, ankle and lower extremities in podiatry. The No.11 blades fit handles 3, 3L, 3 graduated, 5B, 7, 9 and B3.

size no. 12: The No. 12 is a small, tapered, crescent-shaped blade sharpened on the inside of the curve. It is sometimes used as a suture cutter, but also for arteriotomies (surgical cutting of an artery), operations on the parotid gland (salivary glands in the face), mucosal incisions during septoplasty (repair of the nasal septum) and cleft palate surgery, ureterolithotomies (removal of calculi by incising the ureter), and pyelolithotomies (surgical incision of the renal pelvis of a kidney to remove a kidney stone - also called pelviolithotomy). They are also used in dental surgery to lift skin flaps and remove excess polymerized composite resin in the facial area and interproximal area of ​​the tooth during restorative procedures.12 fits handles 3, 3L, 3 graduated, 5B, 7, 9, B3 and B3L.

Size No. 13: Equipment No.3. Fits grips 3, 3L, 3 graduated, 5B, 7, 9, B3 and B3L.

size no. 14: The No. 14 can be used in aesthetic procedures such as "dermaplaning", which helps to "refine" the top layers of the skin through a method of controlled surgical scraping that involves peeling away the epidermis. It is complemented by the smaller, rounded 10R "butter blades".

size no. 15: The No. 15 blade has a small curved cutting edge and is the most popular blade shape, ideal for short and precise cuts. It is used in a variety of surgical procedures such as excision of a skin lesion or recurrent sebaceous cyst, and opening of coronary arteries. The No. 15 fits handles 3, 3L, 3 graduated, 5B, 7, 9, B3 and B3L.

size no. 16: Equipment No.3. Fits grips 3, 3L, 3 graduated, 5B, 7, 9, B3 and B3L.

size no. 40: A double-edged version of the No. 13 blade. Can be used in histology and histopathology. No.3 equipment. Fits handles 3, 3L, 3 graduated, 5B, 7, 9, B3 and B3L.