Assessment of anterior positioning splint in conjunction with lateral pterygoid BTX injection to treat TMJ disc displacement with reduction — a preliminary report

Objective Treatment of temporomandibular disc displacement with reduction is controversial. This study assesses the use of an anterior positioning splint with botulinum toxin in the lateral pterygoid muscle (BTX) for such cases. Methods Twelve joints were included; groups I and II received BTX injection while group II also received an anterior positioning splint. Pain scores and clicking status were recorded at regular intervals then a postoperative MRI was done after 4 months. Results Clinical improvement was noted in both groups. Mean pain scores dropped significantly and clicks in the twelve joints disappeared in 83% of group I and 33% of group II. MRIs showed significant disc position improvement with the higher mean change (1.33 ± 0.76) in group I. Group I showed better improvement of discal position and only one joint regained a click. Patients of group II reported discomfort from the splint which may have caused psychological distress and so worst pain scores. Conclusions Group I showed slightly better results but the cost of BTX injections and the complications of the splint should be kept in mind and the decision of treatment selection made according to each condition.

A comparative study of the effects of the anterior disc displacement with reduction and without reduction on the components of the temporomandibular joint by using magnetic resonance imaging – A Retrospective study

Background: Internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) results in anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDR), the disc is ante- riorly displaced in the closed position whereas in the opened position the disc returns to its normal location. In anterior disc displacement without reduction (AD- DWR), the disc is anteriorly displaced in the closed po- sition but does not return to its original location in the opened position. Here we studied and compared the effects of the ADDR and the ADDWR on the components of the TMJ by using the magnetic resonance imaging technique (MRI). Methods and materials: From the archival MRI records, 214 joints from 107 patients were included. The selec- tion criteria for the patients complaints as TMJ pain, clicking, limited mouth opening, headache, jaw tenderness and difficulty in eating. MRI records with sequences Proton Density (PD), PD FAT SAT and T2* gradient in the closed position and T2* gradient echo in the opened position. Data analysis and frequency distribution of explanatory variables by disc position in the open state was performed using chi-square test Results: Statistically significant differences were observed between the variables such as the joint space (closed position), disc morphology (closed position) and range of movement (opened position) among the ADDR and the ADDWR. In ADDWR, 20.3% demonstrated narrowed joint space and 1.6% with widened joint space, while in ADDR, 2.5% of joints had narrowed joint space and 0% widened joint space. Same was observed with abnormal disc morphology and rang of movement. Conclusion: The disc deformity is more in ADDWR compared to ADDR which can be seen as an alteration in the signal intensity. The malaligned disc could lead to the narrowing of the joint space and decreased range of movement in the ADDWR affected individuals.

Management of Internal Derangement of Temporomandibular Joint Disc Displacement with Reduction Using Two Different Lines of Treatment

Objetive: This study was to compare the effectiveness of arthrocentesis versus the insertion of anterior repositioning splint (ARS) in improving the mandibular range of motion (MRM) for patients with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADDwR). Methods: 36 patients diagnosed as ADDwR were recruited and divided randomly into two groups. The first group (G1) was treated by arthrocentesis, and the second (G2) was treated using ARS. All patients were reexamined after six months. Results: Except that for protrusive movement, there were significant differences between the two groups for the percentage changes of the MRM as measured by the amount of pain free opening, unassisted opening, maximum assisted opening, right lateral and left lateral movements (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Within the context of the current study, the non-invasive, lower cost ARS, provided better results in improving the MRM when managing ADDwR cases. Keywords Arthrocentesis; Anterior repositioning splint; TMD; Internal derangement; Anterior disc displacement; Mandibular range of motion.