ArticleOral and maxillofacial surgery2023
Observational and descriptive analysis of broken dental needles: a case series.
Article in Oral and maxillofacial surgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Predictors of Dental Needle Bevel Deformation: Gauge, Insertion Frequency, and Length as Key Determinants.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- Needle breakage during dental anesthesia: Management strategies and its associated preventive measures.Journal of dental sciences · 2026Review
- Management strategies for unanticipated remnants following tooth extraction: A case report.Medicine · 2025Article
- Multidisciplinary management of intracranial migration of a fractured dental needle through the foramen ovale: a case report.Journal of surgical case reports · 2025Article
- Foreign Body in the Masticatory Space as a Rare Complication of Orthognathic Surgery and Associated Dental Procedures: A Case Series and Literature Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Fractured needle as an unusual complication of the lingual nerve block: a case report.Journal of dental anesthesia and pain medicine · 2022Article
- Broken Needle Embedded in the Body during Vascular Puncture.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo discuss potential causes of broken dental needles during dental anesthesia and features of this complication, including the anatomical location of fragments in tissues, symptoms, complications, and therapeutic approaches.
methodsTwelve cases of broken dental needles occurring during dental anesthesia and subsequently referred to Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal, Brazil, between 1992 and 2019 were selected. In addition, similar cases reported in the literature over the past 50 years were reviewed.
resultsNeedle fractures occur most frequently during inferior alveolar nerve blocks and in younger patients. The leading cause is unexpected patient movement during the anesthetic procedure. The needle fragment is most commonly found in the pterygomandibular space or the deep spaces of the head and neck region. Needle migration is a particular concern; although rare, it is unpredictable and potentially life-threatening.
conclusionsNeedle fracture is an intraoperative complication which has the potential to cause severe patient damage. It is essential that practitioners have knowledge of this possible complication and understand the technical considerations for its prevention. The existing literature and the results of this case series analysis suggest that removal of the fractured needle fragment should be attempted as soon as possible.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.