[Developmental radicular groove as a cause of endodontic failure]

A clinical case of apical injury on an upper lateral incisor with endodontical and surgical failures in its treatment is presented. Extraction of the incisor and its study at the stereoscopic microscope showed the existence of a developmental groove running from the cingulum to the end of the root, establishing a communication between the crevice and the apical part of the tooth. Bacterial infection through the groove could provide an explanation for treatment failure.