THE EFFICACY OF ARTHROCENTESIS IN RELIEVING PAIN IN PATIENTS WITH TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DISORDERS

Aim of Study: This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of arthrocentesis in relieving pain in patients with TMDs (Temporomandibular Joint Disorders) in a sample of Pakistani population. Study Design: A randomized controlled trial Place and Duration: This study was conducted for the duration of one year starting from October, 2018 to September, 2019 at oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Chandka Medical College hospital Larkana. Methodology: In this study Both male and female of age above 18 years with complaint of pain in TMJ as diagnosed by history, clinical examination and radiographic examination were included. One hundred & four patients were included in the study through random sampling technique and divided into two groups. Patients in group A were treated with conservative measures and arthrocentesis procedure. Patients in group B were only treated with conservative measures. The pain scores were recorded at pre-intervention and 1st day, 7th day and 14th day after intervention in both groups using visual analogue scale. Results: The mean age of patients was recorded in both groups. 42.3 percent of patients in group A were males while group B had 36.5% males. A reduction in pain was seen in both groups, with a statistically significant difference on 7th and 14th day. Conclusion: TMJ arthrocentesis can be an effective treatment modality when conservative measures alone fail to relieve the TMJ pain. It can also prove to be an effective adjunct to the conservative measures for treating the patients with temporomandibular disorders. Key Words: Temporomandibular disorders, Arthrocentesis, TMJ Internal Derangement (ID)