title: Healing of 208 intra-alveolar root fractures in patients aged 7-17 years.
abstract: This retrospective study consisted of 208 root-fractured, 168 splinted and 40 not splinted incisors in young individuals (aged 7-17 years) treated in the period 1959-1973 at the Pedodontic Department, Eastman Institute, Stockholm. Clinical and radiographic analyses showed that 69 teeth (33%) had developed hard tissue (fusion) healing of fragments. Interposition of periodontal ligament (PDL) and bone between the fragments was found in 17 teeth (8%). Interposition of PDL alone was found in 74 teeth (36%). Finally, non-healing with pulp necrosis and inflammatory changes between fragments was seen in 48 teeth (23%). Various clinical factors were analyzed for their relationship to the healing outcome with respect to healing/no healing and type of healing (hard tissue versus interposition of bone and/or PDL). Immature root and positive pulp sensitivity at time of injury was found to be significantly related to both pulp healing and hard tissue repair of the fracture. The same applied to concussion or subluxation of the coronal fragment compared to luxation with displacement (extrusive or lateral luxation). This relation was also represented by the variable millimeter diastasis between fragments before and after repositioning. Repositioning appeared to enhance the likelihood of both pulp healing and hard tissue repair. A positive effect of splinting, splinting methods (cap splints or orthodontic bands with an arch wire) or splinting periods could not be demonstrated on either pulp healing or type of healing (hard tissue versus interposition of bone and/or PDL). In conclusion, the findings from this retrospective study have cast doubts on the efficacy of long-term splinting and the types of splint used for root fracture healing. It is suggested that the role of splinting and splinting methods be examined in further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics, Eastman Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cvek
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Andreasen
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Borum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000503:physiopathology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000503:physiopathology; D003790:Dental Pulp Necrosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009805:Odontogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000503:physiopathology; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013165:Splints / Q000145:classification; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014084:Tooth Avulsion / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology; D014082:Tooth Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014945:Wound Healing