Therapeutic effects of arthrocentesis in treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders

OBJECTIVE: Analyse, compare and evaluate the effects of the treatment arthrocentesis with a control group of non-steroid drugs treated patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 1752 out-patients (1293 females, 459 males) were examined within the years 2013-2017. We evaluated the following criteria: gender, age, visual analog scale for pain (VAS), inter-incisal distance and reducing intake of orally administered analgesics. RESULTS: The pain level of the group of patients with arthrocentesis had stabilized at mark 2.5 on the pain scale, unlike in the control group after treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pain had stabilized at mark 9 on the pain scale. The inter incisal distance amongst the first group was 37 mm and in the control group only 27 mm, after completed treatment. The amount of applied analgesics in the group with arthrocentesis decreased to 100 mg daily, while in the control group, the dose was adjusted to 700 mg daily. CONCLUSION: In the observed study, arthrocentesis was effective in reducing pain, amount of analgesics per day and improving the mobility of temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The results of this study we use in the ongoing project, that focuses on progressive and innovative methodology of endoscopically assisted arthrocentesis. (Tab. 4, Fig. 5, Ref. 39).