Broken anesthetic injection needles: report of 5 cases

Abstract

A broken anesthetic needle is a rare complication in clinical practice. This article reports on 5 patients referred for removal of broken needles. The needles were located in the pterygomandibular space or near the maxillary tuberosity. These complications were the result of an unexpected movement by the patient or an incorrect anesthetic technique. The article also describes the case of a patient in whom an image observed in a routine panoramic radiograph could have been caused by a broken needle.