PAIN CHARACTERISTICS AFTER WHOLE BLOOD VS STEROID INJECTION IN TO TEMPEROMANDIBULAR JOINT AS TREATMENT MODALITY. COMPARATIVE CLINICAL TRIAL STUDY

Abstract

TMD problems are significantly increasing day by the day. Pain is the most important clinical complain. This study aimed to evaluate severity of pain after injection of whole blood and/or steroid into temporomandibular joint. Materials and methods: three groups of patients who asked treatment for pain were selected and randomly distributed over groups. First group (A: 8 patients) got whole blood injection), second group (B: 8 patients) got steroid injection and third group (C: 4 patients) got both (two steroid then two blood). Numerical scale of 0-10 was used to determine the severity of pain for two weeks after injections. Results: the study showed that the pain is sever in first 24 hours in all groups then it sharply dropping down. In the first group the pain had higher scores then it sharply dropping down with absence of pain nearly completely after 6 months. While in the second group the pain will be moderate to severe in first 72 hours then it will gradually decrease but it still present even after 6 months. The third group was just like steroid group for first week while it was like blood group in long term effect. Conclusion: Whole blood injection has superiority over steroid in both severity and continuity of pain in TMD cases on long term period. Better to be both combined in two by four over three formula.