Adson Forceps – Tissue & Dressing Forceps by Helmut Zepf

Adson forceps are the workhorse tissue and dressing forceps of oral surgery — a slender, tapered design with a wide thumb-grasp platform that narrows to a fine working tip, giving precise control at the surgical site. Named for neurosurgeon Alfred W. Adson, the pattern is available toothed (1 x 2 teeth) for grasping and stabilizing soft tissue flaps during suturing, and non-toothed (serrated) as a dressing and dissecting forceps for handling gauze, membranes, and delicate materials without perforation.

Adson vs. Micro Adson

Standard Adson forceps suit general oral surgery and extraction site management. Micro Adson patterns refine the tip further for periodontal microsurgery, grafting, and flap work where minimal tissue trauma is critical — several ZEPF micro patterns add fine springs and grip holes for reduced hand fatigue, curved 30° tips for posterior access, and tungsten carbide-tipped jaws for a secure hold with less closing pressure.

History: Who Invented the Adson Forceps?

The Adson pattern owes its name to Alfred Washington Adson (1887–1951), an American neurosurgeon who founded and led the Mayo Clinic's Section of Neurological Surgery in Rochester, Minnesota, from 1919 to 1946 — the same Adson remembered today for the "Adson's test" used to diagnose thoracic outlet syndrome. His tapered, narrow-tipped tissue forceps were built for the meticulous, low-trauma handling that cranial and spinal surgery demanded, and that same taper made the pattern equally useful anywhere a surgeon needed to grasp fine tissue without crushing it. It has since become a fixture well outside neurosurgery, including on the oral surgery and periodontal trays where Helmut Zepf's toothed and dressing Adson patterns do their work today.

German-Made by Helmut Zepf

Every Adson forceps in this collection is manufactured by Helmut Zepf Medizintechnik in Seitingen-Oberflacht, Germany, from surgical stainless steel with precisely aligned tips and calibrated spring tension — built for years of autoclave cycles. For pattern-by-pattern identification across the full forceps family, see the Surgical & Tissue Forceps Identification Guide.

FAQ

What are Adson forceps used for? Grasping and stabilizing soft tissue during suturing and flap procedures (toothed patterns), or handling dressings, membranes, and delicate materials (non-toothed patterns).

What does 1 x 2 teeth mean? One tooth on one jaw interdigitating with two teeth on the opposite jaw — a secure tissue grip with minimal crushing force.

Should I choose toothed or non-toothed Adson forceps? Toothed for tissue and flaps; non-toothed (dressing) for anything that would be perforated or torn by teeth.