As per recent research by Wael Abbadi et al. published in the ‘Cureus’, the use of three treatment protocols, namely arthrocentesis, injectable platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and their combination were effective protocols for temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA).

Multifarious etiopathogenesis and varied symptoms of TMJ often make it challenging to find standardized therapeutic protocols for this disorder. Therefore, this single-blinded randomized research distinguished between the effect of various approaches (arthrocentesis, PRP intra-articular injection, and their combination) used for managing osteoarthritis of the jaw.

A total of 33 patients with restricted mouth opening, pain on movement and joint sounds due to TMJ osteoarthritis were included in this research. They were allocated to 3 groups: (1) PRP group, (2) Arthrocentesis group, and (3) Combination i.e. arthrocentesis + PRP group. Maximum mouth opening (MMO), improvement in pain and joint sounds were compared after a follow-up of 6 months.

Considering the study outcomes, all the groups had statistically noteworthy improvements concerning MMO and pain after 6 months, but this was not so in the case of joint sounds. Pain assessments had superior outcomes in the combination group (arthrocentesis + PRP group) than either of the two alone after the follow-up period. No significant differences in MMO and joint sounds assessments were noted between these groups after a follow-up of 6 months.

All the 3 treatment approaches were effective in improving the symptoms such as restricted mouth opening and pain due to TMJ-OA after considering the constraints of this study. In terms of pain, the arthrocentesis + PRP injection group had the best outcomes for relieving pain, as concluded.