A three-blade spinal retractor utilizes adjustable and lockable translating arms with angulating blades to provide triangulated medial/lateral and cephalad/caudal tissue retraction for spinal surgeries via the adjustably lockable translating arms. A medial/lateral translating arm with an angularly adjustable retraction blade co-acts and cooperates with angularly adjacent first and second cephalad/caudal translating arms with angularly adjustable retraction blades for tissue retraction and surgical site access. A plate having a medial/lateral adjustment system adjustably holds the medial/lateral translating arm, a first cephalad/caudal adjustment system adjustably holding the first cephalad/caudal translating arm and a second cephalad/caudal adjustment system adjustably holding the second cephalad/caudal translating arm. The translating arms each have a blade holder that provides angular adjustment of the blade. Angular adjustment of each blade along with medial/lateral and cephalad/caudal adjustment provides improved preciseness and stability in positioning, tissue distraction, and surgical site access.
