Comparative treatment outcomes of menopausal and nonmenopausal women after arthrocentesis.

OBJECTIVES: Most of the patients treated for temporomandibular joint disorders constituted from the female population, and this situation is generally hypothesized and demonstrated in several studies. Arthrocentesis of the temporomandibular joint is a minimally invasive and effective treatment method in the management of patients with stage III and stage IV Wilkes syndrome. This study was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of this method between menopausal and nonmenopausal female patients.

STUDY DESIGN: A total of 59 patients (25 menopausal and 34 nonmenopausal) were evaluated according to the visual analog scale for pain and chewing function scores, joint sound, and maximum mouth opening.

RESULTS: In both groups, the parameters were detected statistically significant according to follow-up periods. The menopausal group showed better results than the nonmenopausal group at 6-month controls.

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, arthrocentesis is a satisfactory treatment modality in the management of temporomandibular joint derangements. Female reproductive hormone levels may affect the success of this procedure.