Orthopaedics · Musculoskeletal System · Hard
Osteotomy
Meaning: A surgical procedure to cut and reshape bone.
In practice: A high tibial osteotomy can relieve knee arthritis pain.
Word parts
- osteo- means bone
- -otomy means cutting into
Many medical words are built from Greek and Latin parts like these, so learning a few helps you work out new terms.
Quick check
Two questions on related orthopaedics words.
Which word means: One of five long bones of the palm between the carpus and the fingers.
Answer: Metacarpal
Which word means: Inflammation of the joint linking the base of the spine to the pelvis, typical of axial spondyloarthritis.
Answer: Sacroiliitis
Words like osteotomy come up in the daily game
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