Prevalence of vertical root fractures in teeth planned for apical surgery. A retrospective cohort study

Aim To evaluate retrospectively the prevalence of vertical root fractures (VRFs) in a cohort of patients during apical surgery and the factors possibly associated with VRF. Methodology The sample consisted of 944 root filled teeth belonging to 768 patients (49.3% males and 50.7% females; mean age 43.5 ± 11.2 years, range 22–68 years), consecutively referred for endodontic surgery over a six‐year period. All patients underwent a clinical assessment of their signs and symptoms. Periapical radiographs of teeth that were candidates for endodontic surgery were taken. Sixty‐eight teeth with VRF were identified. Vertical root fractures were identified in pre‐surgical screenings in 32 cases (47.1%), and these did not undergo surgery. Another 36 cases of VRF were noted during the intervention for root‐end resection. The influence of posts, post type, tooth type, periodontal probing defects, spontaneous pain, sinus tract and follow‐up duration was assessed using a logistic regression analysis. Results Vertical root fractures occurred significantly more frequently (P