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Surgical management of vertical root fractures for posterior teeth: report of four cases
Spyros G Floratos1, Samuel I Kratchman
1Department of Endodontics, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. sflo_gr@yahoo.com
Introduction:
The objective of this article was to present a surgical treatment option for teeth with incomplete vertical root fracture in maxillary and mandibular posterior teeth.
Methods:
Four cases are presented in which 1 endodontically treated maxillary or mandibular molar had an incomplete vertical root fracture involving 1 of the roots. The tooth underwent a flap elevation procedure to visualize the pattern of bone loss and assess the extent of root fracture. The fracture line was eliminated by resecting the root in a beveled manner, after which root-end preparation and root-end filling were performed by using mineral trioxide aggregate. The osteotomy was covered with an absorbable collagen membrane. Cases were followed up for 8-24 months after surgery.
Results:
The procedure was shown to be predictable and successful in this series. Root length was preserved, and tooth extraction was avoided.
Conclusions:
The microsurgical treatment option for multirooted teeth with incomplete vertical root fracture resulted in long-term clinical success.
