Clinical assessment of the effectiveness of botulinum toxin A in the treatment of temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome

Abstract

Assessment of the effectiveness of botulinum toxin A in the treatment of temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome. In accordance with the diagnostic and treatment guidelines for TMJPDS, 20 patients with TMJPDS with pronounced pain on palpation of the chewing muscles, discoordination of the chewing muscles according to the EMG, and degenerative changes in the temporomandibular joint according to the MRI were examined. The patients had no contraindications to the use of botulinum toxin. Exclusion criteria: 1) age under 21 years, 2) somatic pathology, 3) refusal of the steps of the proposed diagnostic and treatment algorithm. Methods used: clinical, psychometric (visual analogue scale (VAS) - for pain assessment), X-ray, electromyographic and statistical methods. An objective reduction in the tone of the chewing muscles was observed after treatment In both groups. However, 30 days after the injection of BtA the IMPACT indicator in the first group was reduced by 403.5 µV or more (38.5%, p<0.05), while in the second group it decreased by 201.5 µV or more (25%, p<0.05). A correlation was identified between the VAS index (mean 7 points, severe pain level) and IMPACT (p<0.05). The onset of a significant pain reduction was observed one week after BtA injection, the most pronounced effect was achieved after 2 weeks and lasted for about 3 months. The use of BtA as part of the temporomandibular joint pain dysfunction syndrome treatment algorithm contributes to the creation of a «therapeutic window» for comprehensive rehabilitation of patients in this group. It increases the efficacy of the conducted treatment and contributes to a significant prolongation of the TMJPDS remission.