Osteotomized

Osteotomized is an adjective describing bone that has undergone an osteotomy, a surgical procedure that involves cutting through bone to change its alignment or length. The term appears in surgical notes, radiographs, and postoperative plans to indicate that a particular bone segment has been divided to facilitate correction of deformity or realignment of a limb or skeletal structure.

An osteotomy may be performed for indications such as angular deformities, limb-length discrepancies, joint impingement, or malunited fractures. After the bone is cut, the segments are repositioned and secured with internal fixation (plates and screws), intramedullary devices, or external fixators. The osteotomized segments then heal across the osteotomy gap through new bone formation, a process termed union. Rehabilitation and imaging follow a healing timeline that varies by site, age, and fixation method.

Common sites include long bones such as the femur, tibia, and humerus, as well as craniofacial structures in orthognathic surgery. The descriptor “osteotomized” may apply to bones that have already been repositioned and stabilized; it differentiates from untouched bone or from sites requiring revision osteotomy.

Complications can include nonunion, malunion, infection, neurovascular injury, and hardware-related problems, depending on location and patient factors.