Comparison of clinical outcomes of treatment of dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint between conventional and ultrasound-guided arthrocentesis.

Patients with disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) who do not respond to non-operative treatment may require invasive procedures such as arthrocentesis and arthroscopy. We divided 80 patients with dysfunction of the TMJ into two groups: a control group who were treated by conventional arthrocentesis, and an experimental group who were treated by ultrasound-guided arthrocentesis. Both groups were monitored three days, one week, and one month postoperatively and the clinical outcomes compared. The experimental group had a significant reduction in the degree of pain in the immediate postoperative period (p=0.015). However, ultrasound-guided arthrocentesis showed no significant improvement in symptoms overall compared with conventional arthrocentesis. Both techniques seem to be effective in the management of dysfunction of the TMJ.