Treatment effectiveness of arthrocentesis plus hyaluronic acid injections in different age groups of patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate for treatment effectiveness in different age groups of patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis who underwent a cycle of 5 weekly arthrocenteses plus hyaluronic acid injections.


METHODS
We implemented a retrospective study on 76 patients followed up for 1 year. Outcome variables were pain levels at rest and during chewing, subjective masticatory efficiency, functional limitation, perceived efficacy, and jaw range of motion. Three age groups of patients were identified, and treatment effectiveness was compared among groups by means of a multistrata permutation test.


RESULTS
All the partial P values of the subtests related to the age groups, adjusted according to the close testing method for controlling multiplicity, were significant: P = .009 (aged <45 years), P = .001 (aged 45-65 years), and P = .001 (aged >65 years). For the younger age group, the treatment had a significant effect only on the pain at mastication and on the subjective efficacy. For the other age groups, the treatment effectiveness was evident with regard to almost all the considered symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggested that the treatment protocol was more effective in patients older than 45 years, thus having important clinical implications regarding attempts to define tailored treatment protocols for patients with temporomandibular disorders.
Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
Luca
L
Guarda-Nardini
Marco
M
Olivo
Giuseppe
G
Ferronato
Luigi
L
Salmaso
Stefano
S
Bonnini
Daniele
D
Manfredini
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001182:Arthroscopy; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006261:Headache / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D017090:Occlusal Splints; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D019152:Paracentesis / Q000379:methods*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000187:drug effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055675:Viscosupplements / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000700:Analgesics; D055675:Viscosupplements; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid