Effectiveness of arthrocentesis versus other therapeutic modalities in patients with temporomandibular disorders. Systematic review and meta-analysis
Archivos
Fecha
2026-12
Nota de Acceso
Fecha de embargo
Profe guía
Perfil ORCID
Título de la revista
ISSN de la revista
Título del volumen
Editor
Elsevier
ISBN
ISSN
1882-7616
ISSNe
Resumen
Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a heterogeneous group of conditions frequently associated with pain and functional impairment. Arthrocentesis has been proposed as a minimally invasive therapeutic option; however, its comparative effectiveness versus other treatments remains uncertain. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of arthrocentesis compared with other therapeutic modalities in patients with TMD, focusing on pain relief and mandibular functional outcomes. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Randomized controlled trials comparing arthrocentesis with other therapeutic interventions for TMD were included. Primary outcomes were pain intensity assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) and mandibular functional outcomes, including maximum mouth opening, maximum incisal opening, masticatory efficiency, mandibular movements, and overall joint mobility. Results: Thirty-two randomized controlled trials were included in the quantitative synthesis. No statistically significant difference in pain reduction was observed between arthrocentesis and comparator interventions, with very high heterogeneity. Masticatory efficiency showed a small statistically significant improvement favoring arthrocentesis, based on very low-certainty evidence. Overall, the certainty of evidence ranged from low to very low across outcomes. Conclusions: Arthrocentesis may provide modest symptomatic improvement in selected patients with TMD; however, it does not demonstrate superiority over alternative therapeutic modalities for most functional outcomes. Further well-designed randomized controlled trials with standardized diagnostic criteria, clearly defined comparators, and longer follow-up are required to better define the role of arthrocentesis in the management of temporomandibular disorders.
Descripción
Lugar de Publicación
Reino Unido
Sponsorship
Citación
Japanese Dental Science Review, Vol. 62 (2026) pp. 114-140
Palabras clave
Temporomandibular disorders, Arthrocentesis, Pain measurement, Mandibular function, Systematic review, Meta-analysis
Licencia
Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 3.0 Chile (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 CL)