Context: The intricate etiopathogenesis of the temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), presenting varied signs and symptoms, makes it difficult to propose a standardized treatment protocol. Recent literature suggests an effective role of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in both inflammatory and degenerative TMDs. Also, arthrocentesis has gained popularity as a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Aim: This study was conducted with the aim to compare the effectiveness of arthrocentesis v/s arthrocentesis followed by PRP in TMD patients. Materials and Methods: The study has been conducted in the institution. Priori power analysis was performed using G*Power software version 3.1.9 for estimating the sample size. The study is a randomized controlled trial in which 20 participants were randomly divided into two groups following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The first group consisted of 10 patients who underwent arthrocentesis. The second group consisted of another 10 patients who were administered PRP followed by arthrocentesis. The patients were evaluated on the basis of maximum mouth opening, pain scores (VAS), laterotrusive movements, and joint sounds at weeks 1, 3 and months 1, 3, 6. Statistical Analysis Used: The data for the present study was entered in Microsoft Excel 2007 and analyzed using the SPSS statistical software 23.0 Version. The descriptive statistics included mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage. The intergroup comparison was done using the independent t tests, and the intragroup comparison was performed by the repeated-measure ANOVA. The Shapiro–Wilk test was used to investigate the distribution of the data. Levene’s test is used to explore the homogeneity of the variables. To understand the comparative analysis for both procedures, post hoc Turkey test was used. The level of significance for these tests has been denoted by the “ P value.” The P value was set as 0.05). The outcomes of maximum mouth opening and pain scores were better in the second group after six months of follow-up ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that arthrocentesis followed by platelet-rich plasma injection is a better treatment protocol for the management of TMDs.
Kaur et al. (Thu,) studied this question.