The resection of bone is the skillful removal of a bone or a part of it from the rest of the skeleton, performed while preserving the soft tissues. When an entire bone is detached from its surroundings, it is referred to as a total resection or extirpation of the bone. In contrast, there is the partial resection, which is simply referred to as resection. Extirpation is only possible where the loss of an entire bone does not significantly compromise the integrity of the skeleton; the scope of resection is broader and is limited only by the complete inaccessibility of a bone or the risk of injuring vital organs that may be encased by or follow the course of that bone. This book on the resections of bones and joints, the history of resections and osteotomy, is an invaluable resource.