The Pitt Medical Terminology Practice Test

The suffix -plasty signals a surgical repair or reconstruction, meaning the procedure involves shaping, reforming, or restoring a structure to its proper form or function. This is why terms with -plasty describe repairs or reconstructions, such as rhinoplasty (repair of the nose), angioplasty (repair/opening of a vessel), cranioplasty (repair of the skull), or arthroplasty (reconstruction or replacement of a joint). The other endings point to different concepts: -oma indicates a tumor or mass; -otomy or -tomy denote an incision or cutting into; and -osis or -pathy refer to disease or disorder.