During cryotomy, sections of varying thickness can most likely be corrected by which adjustment?

• A. Increasing the blade tilt
• B. Decreasing the blade tilt
• C. Adjusting cutting speed
• D. Warming the block

Answer: (A)

In cryotomy, how thick a section turns out is largely about how cleanly the blade shears the frozen tissue. The blade tilt sets the cutting angle and the edge clearance as the blade meets the block. Increasing the tilt raises the clearance angle, reducing drag and helping the blade shave off a uniform slice across the block. This tends to produce more consistent thickness and fewer areas that are too thick or too thin. Slowing or speeding the cut won’t reliably fix thickness variation, warming the block changes ice hardness but isn’t a precise method for standardizing thickness, and decreasing the tilt reduces clearance, which can worsen irregular thickness. So adjusting by increasing the blade tilt best corrects sections of varying thickness.