COMPARISON OF EFFICACY OF NSAIDS WITH INTRA- ARTICULAR INJECTION OF CORTICOSTEROIDS IN PATIENTS OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR...

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
• Pain Management

Background:

• Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) encompass a range of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint complex.
• TMD prevalence varies globally, with estimates ranging from 6% to 68%.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) versus intra-articular corticosteroid injections for TMD.
• To evaluate outcomes in terms of pain reduction and improved mouth opening in patients with disc displacement without reduction.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 80 patients diagnosed with TMD due to disc displacement without reduction.
• One group received intra-articular Triamcinolone acetonide injections every three weeks, while the control group received Naproxen (NSAID) twice daily for three weeks.
• Pain scores and mouth opening were assessed at baseline and after a three-week interval.

Main Results:

• Both treatments showed improvement, but corticosteroid injections resulted in significantly lower mean pain scores (4.18±0.93 vs. 2.65±0.74, p=0.0011).
• Intra-articular corticosteroids also led to a greater mean mouth opening (34.93±1.82 mm vs. 32.28±1.75 mm, p=0.0015) compared to NSAIDs.
• The study included 63.80% females and 36.20% males, with a mean age of approximately 28.7 years.

Conclusions:

• Intra-articular corticosteroid injections are more effective than NSAIDs for reducing pain and enhancing mouth opening in TMD patients with disc displacement without reduction.
• This study highlights corticosteroids as a beneficial therapeutic option for specific TMD cases.