Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Hyaluronic Acid Following Arthrocentesis for Temporomandibular Joint Disc...

Injection of intra-articular medicaments is an accepted therapy for temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs). This study compares the efficacy of arthrocentesis followed by platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as compared to hyaluronic acid (HA) injections for TMDs unresponsive to conservative therapy. PRP injection following arthrocentesis was hypothesized to be better compared to arthrocentesis alone or when combined with HA injection.

Forty-seven patients with TMDs enrolled in an RCT were randomly assigned to three groups: Group A-PRP, Group B-HA or Group C-control group of arthrocentesis alone. Pre-operative evaluation and post-operative changes at 1-, 3-, 6-month intervals were assessed for improvement in pain, maximum mouth opening, joint sounds and excursive movements. Statistical significance was set at P value < 0.05.

Post-operative joint sounds were present in three out of 16 patients in Group A; six out of 15 patients in Group B and eight out of 16 patients in Group C at 6-month follow-up. For the remaining outcome variables, no statistical difference between groups was observed.

Both medicaments produced significant clinical improvements when compared to the control group. When comparing PRP against HA, none showed superiority over the other.Clinical trial registration number: CTRI/2019/01/017076.