A close-up look at an implant fracture: a case report.

The authors report on the fracture of a standard endosseous dental implant 11 years after placement. It had been connected to a natural tooth using a nonrigid connector to compensate for the lack of a built-in antirotational system on the prosthetic abutment of the implant restoration. Scanning electron microscopy revealed striations on the fracture surface, suggesting a fatigue-associated failure.