Intra-articular Injection for the Relief of Temporomandibular Joint Pain

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that affects the TMJ. This condition may affect other joints in the hands, feet, or spine. The progressive destruction of the fibrocartilage layers with or without bone destruction and loss of the synovial fluid leads eventually to the accumulation of the inflammatory mediators. And when the episodes of destruction exceed that of healing, the patients start to encounter cycles of pain, inflammation, earache, limitation of mouth opening, and loss of function. Many treatment modalities have been illustrated in the literature for the treatment of osteoarthritis. One of the most effective treatment modalities used is intra-articular injections.

The first treatment strategy in this research is intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a high molecular weight glycosaminoglycan composed of repeated chains of disaccharides. HLA is considered a normal component of numerous body structures and body fluids, like the synovial fluid, and is conjugated with many processes, like tissue repair and inflammation. So many authors advocate its usefulness in the treatment of temporomandibular dysfunction and myofascial pain without any complications or adverse effects.

The second treatment arm will be used for corticosteroids as intra-articular injections, and that's because of their long-standing and powerful anti-inflammatory properties alone or with local anesthetics for relief or treatment of temporomandibular joint symptoms.

Platelet-rich plasma is concentrated from the patient's own blood sample by centrifugation. It was first introduced in maxillofacial and plastic surgery in 1990. It's claimed that it has many advantages because of its healing potential, cell recruitment, proliferation, and differentiation, which lead eventually to tissue repair.

In this research, we are going to compare the effectiveness of three treatment arms: platelet-rich plasma, hyaluronic acid, and triamcinolone acetonide.

Inclusion criteria

• 1. Patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis with or without disc displacement.
• 2. Age ≥ 18 years < 50

Exclusion criteria

• 1. Previous TMJ surgery
• 2. Medical history of blood-derived illness or any medication known to affect platelet function or concentration for a minimum of two weeks prior to treatment.
• 3. specific osteoarthritis like rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis.
• 4. pregnant women or breastfeeding ones