Abstract
Introduction
Early detection of vertical root fracture (VRF) is important for clinical endodontic
practice. The purpose of this study was to measure the fracture width (distance between
2 sides of the fracture) of VRF teeth in vitro by using 2 micro–computed tomography (μ-CT) systems with different spatial resolution
and voxel size.
Methods
Thirty-seven endodontically treated teeth with VRF were scanned by 80-μm pixel size
μ-CT. Fifteen teeth with no obvious fracture line, blurred image, or fracture space
less than 100 μm were scanned by 9-μm pixel size μ-CT.
Results
Presence of 2 VRF lines was more common in premolars (82%) than in molars (53%). In
7 premolars (32%) and 9 molars (60%), the VRF lines extended to within the apical
3 mm of the root. All fracture lines were detected by 9-μm pixel size μ-CT, but only
22 of 37 VRF teeth had vertical fracture identified by 80-μm μ-CT. From μ-CT examination,
none of the fracture lines showed consistent and uniform fracture space. If 2 fracture
lines were present, they were typically in opposite (not linear) directions. There
was a significant correlation between 2 fracture lines or fracture lines extending
within the 3 mm of the apex and fracture width greater than 100 μm.
Conclusions
Application of 9-μm μ-CT can be accurately used for early detection of VRF. Fracture
characteristics (eg, number of fracture lines, extension of fracture line) may affect
the fracture width. Appropriate use of μ-CT technology can be helpful for early diagnosis
of VRF.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 18, 2014
Footnotes
Jyh-Cheng Chen and Jiiang-Huei Jeng contributed equally to this work.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
