An osteotome is an instrument used for cutting or preparing bone.
Osteotomes are similar to a
chisel
A chisel is a tool with a characteristically shaped cutting edge (such that wood chisels have lent part of their name to a particular grind) of blade on its end, for carving or cutting a hard material such as wood, stone, or metal by hand, s ...
but bevelled on both sides.
They are used today in
plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes cranio ...
,
orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...
and
dental implantation.
The chain osteotome, originally referred to simply as the osteotome, was invented by the German physician
Bernhard Heine in 1830.
This device is essentially a small
chainsaw
A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable gasoline-, electric-, or battery-powered saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. It is used in activities such as tree felling, limbing, bucking, pru ...
.
See also
*
Instruments used in general surgery
There are many different surgical specialties, some of which require very specific kinds of surgical instruments to perform.
General surgery is a specialty focused on the abdominal contents, as well as the thyroid gland, and diseases involving ...
References
{{Surgical instruments
Orthopaedic instruments