Treatment effectiveness of arthrocentesis plus hyaluronic acid injections in different age groups of patients with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.

PURPOSE: 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.

MATERIALS AND 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.