Evaluation of the effects of occlusal splint, trigger point injection and arthrocentesis in the treatment of internal derangement patients with myofascial pain disorders.

PURPOSE: In temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), unless splints are effective, combined therapies are performed. The aim of this study is to show the effectiveness of the local anaesthethic injections (trigger point injections) to the masticatory muscles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was composed of TMD patients and the predictor variables were therapy combinations including stabilization splint (SS) therapy, SS+trigger point injection therapy (TPI) and arthrocentesis. The primary outcome variables were pain and jaw movements. The follow-ups were done at 1st and 3rd months. 56 patients who were treated for TMD with only SS or combined therapies were included in the study. The effects of additional TPIs were compared to SS therapy alone. Also the effect of arthrocentesis was evaluated too.

RESULTS: All groups revealed significant decreases in pain scores. Decreases in mouth openings were observed in some of the patients in the injection groups.

CONCLUSION: The combined treatment method in which the injections were applied at shorter time intervals, was a more effective method for decreasing VAS scores in TMD patients in this study but further studies are required.