Intraarticular Hyaluronic Acid Injection for the Treatment of Reducing and Nonreducing Disc Displacement of the Temporomandibular joint

Temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) has been established as a therapeutic challenge in the plastic and maxillofacial clinics. The current treatment recommendations for TMD include resting the jaw, soft diet, and pain medication with nonsteroidal analgesic agents. If conservative and noninvasive techniques do not work, more invasive techniques may be considered. The main goal of this study was to assess the safety and clinical utility of intraarticular injection of sodium hyaluronate for the treatment of symptoms associated with internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). In this prospective study, 40 TMJs of 33 patients who have TMD were treated with intraarticular sodium hyaluronate injections at weekly intervals for 3 weeks. Pre- and postinjection pain intensity, the presence of joint sounds, and interincisial distance were documented. The follow-up period was 12 months. There was a statistically significant reduction of pain intensity (P < 0.01) and joint sound (P < 0.05) in all patients. This study shows that intraarticular hyaluronic acid injection for the treatment of reducing and nonreducing disc displacement of TMJ is an effective and safe management.