What's the difference between an infracture and an osteotomy?

Question

Are infractures and osteotomies the same thing, just interchangeable terms? Are they both used to narrow the nose or does one widen it? Thanks

Sophie Ricketts, MBBS (Hons), FRACS (Plast) · Answer

Osteotomy simply means a bone cut. 
This makes the bone partially or completely mobile to move it to a different position. One way in which the nasal bones can be moved after an osteotomy is by pushing them in to narrow the bony vault of the nose - this is an infracture. It is also possible to outfracture the nose in the case of a collapsed nasal bone which can be the result of a traumatic nasal bone fracture that pushes the bone in to result in a dent.

Raymond Goh, MBBS (Hons), FRACS (Plast) · Answer

Hi There. Thanks for posting your question.
Both technical terms, but easy to explain:
An osteotomy means cutting of the bone. So once an osteotomy has been done, the bone can move in, out, up, down, sideways etc. An infracture simply means moving the bone in after it has been broken/cut. This is usually done to narrow the bony part of the nose.
All the very best.
Dr Ray Goh

David Gilpin, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  These 2 terms of her certainly related, although not identical.  An osteotomy is a precise and controlled cut of the nasal bones that occurs during surgery.  Once this is done, the nasal bones can be moved outward (outfracture) or the nasal bones can be moved inward (infracture), which is typically what is done.  Once the nasal bones are and fractured, this can help to narrow widened nasal bones and help with the nasal bridge to not be as white.Be sure to consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon if you are considering having a rhinoplasty.I hope that this helps!-David Gilpin

J. Phillip Garcia, MD, FACS · Answer

An osteotomy is a controlled incision along any bone with the intent of changing the position of that bone typically.  As it pertains to the nose, an osteotomy allows for the movement of the nasal bones usually with the goal of narrowing that part of the nose. An osteotomy can also be performed in order to shift the bone outward but this is an unusual situation. The term infracture refers to the actual shifting of the nasal bone toward the middle of the face. Infractures are typically performed after osteotomies. Hope this helps.

Jennifer Parker Porter, MD, FACS · Answer

Infracture is a term that some use to say that they moved the nasal bones inward after performing an osteotomy.  The term can also be used in other surgeries.

Arshad Muzaffar, MD · Answer

Hello, and thanks for your question. An osteotomy is simply a surgical procedure done to break bones. With rhinoplasty, osteotomy refers to breaking the nasal bones to allow them to be moved and modified in position and width/shape. Infracture very specifically refers to breaking the nasal bones so as to narrow the bony base of the nose. Hope that makes sense.

Melih Erogul, MD (retired) · Answer

Hi and welcome to our forum!
"Infracture" is jargon talk for an osteotomy allowing for inward motion of the nasal bone, while an "outfracture" refers to osteomy with outward motion. This is performed to straighten misaligned nasal bones or to narrow ( or rarely to widen) the nasal pyramid.
Best wishes...

What's the difference between an infracture and an osteotomy?

Answers (7)

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