[Clinical efficacy evaluation of liquid phase concentrated growth factors combined with stabilization splint in treating temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of liquid phase concentrated growth factors (LPCGF) combined with a stabilization splint in treating temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) compared to a stabilization splint alone. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 60 TMJOA patients from December 2020 to June 2022 at Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, Yinchuan Stomatology Hospital was conducted. Patients were divided into experimental group (LPCGF+stabilization splint) and control group (stabilization splint only). The experimental group received an initial LPCGF injection, followed by biweekly injections for two sessions. Clinical assessments, including visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, maximum mouth opening (MMO), and Friction index, were conducted at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. Results: At 3 months post-treatment, the VAS scores of both the control group and the experimental group [6.00 (5.00, 7.00), 6.00 (5.00, 7.00)] were significantly lower than those before treatment [2.00 (2.00, 3.00), 2.00 (2.00, 3.00)] (all P<0.001), and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). The MMO [36.00 (34.75, 39.00), 37.50 (35.00, 40.00) mm] were significantly larger than those before treatment [(29.32±4.83), (27.63±6.43) mm] (all P<0.001), and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). The craniiomandibular index (CMI), dysfunction index (DI), and palpation (PI) of both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (all P<0.001), and there were no statistically significant differences between the groups (P>0.05). At 6 months post-treatment, the VAS scores of both the control group and the experimental group were significantly higher than those before treatment (all P<0.001), the MMO were significantly larger than those before treatment (P<0.001), and the Fricton index was significantly lower than that before treatment (P<0.05). Among them, the VAS score, DI, and CMI of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group (all P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in MMO and PI between the two groups (P>0.05). At 12 months post-treatment, the VAS score of the experimental group was significantly lower than that before treatment (P<0.001), while there was no statistically significant difference between the control group and before treatment (P>0.05). The VAS score of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.001). The MMO of both the control group and the experimental group were significantly larger than those before treatment (P<0.001), and the DI and CMI were significantly lower than those before treatment (all P<0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in PI between the two groups compared with before treatment (all P>0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: LPCGF combined with a stabilization splint offers a more effective long-term pain relief for TMJOA.