Osteotome
A wedge-shaped instrument with a cutting edge beveled on both sides, designed to cut, divide or shape bone.
How it is used
Struck with a surgical mallet, it is used to cut or reshape bone during osteotomies, joint replacement surgery and fracture surgery.
Clinical tip
Unlike a single-beveled bone chisel, an osteotome is beveled on both sides, which helps it cut in a straighter line.
Sources
This entry is part of the Instriq catalog, researched and written per specialty from real web research -- never generated or invented without verification -- and reviewed skeptically and independently before publication. How this catalog is written.
Image: Gerhard Iglhaut (via Wikimedia Commons). License Public Domain. View original source.
History
Added to the catalog on 2026-10-02.
Dates derived from the project's public version-control history on GitHub, not a live collaborative edit log.