• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.185-197
• /
• 2006

The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effect of a daily dose of 300 mg of ASU taken for more than 3 months on the subjects diagnosed as osteoarthritis of temporomandibular joint by RDC/TMD. Total 68 outpatients(15-54y) of female except menopause in Orofacial Pain Clinics of the Pusan National University Hospital were randomly assigned to either an ASU group(n=36) or a placebo group(n=32). The pain, noise and limited mouth opening(LOM) were evaluated by numerical analogue scale(NAS, range 0-10) and maximum comfortable opening(MCO) were measured by milimeter scale. The difference of simple uptake rate(SUR) on bone scan, hot spot(HS) on coronal SPECT, condylar bony changes on CT between the ASU and placebo groups were compared to investigate the objective effect. The obtained results were as follows. 1. Comparison of the NAS of pain, noise, LOM and MCO before treatment and 3, 6 and 9 months after treatment showed no significant difference between the ASU and placebo groups. 2. Comparison of the NAS of pain, noise, LOM and MCO before treatment and 3, 6 and 9 months after treatment showed no significant difference between the ASU and placebo groups without splint treatment, but showed more increased MCO in the ASU group than the placebo group with splint treatment at 6, 9 months after treatment. 3. Comparison of the NAS of pain before treatment and 3, 6 and 9 months after treatment that the NAS of pain at first visit divided into two groups(above or below 6) showed more decreased the NAS of pain in the ASU group than the placebo group that the NAS of pain at first visit was above 6. 4. Comparison of the NAS of pain, noise, LOM and MCO during 6 months period showed improvement of clinical symptoms within group, but no significant difference between subjects. 5. The simple uptake ratio(SUR) on bone scan and hot spot(HS) on coronal SPECT showed more increased SUR and HS in affected side than non-affected side of the ASU and placebo groups. 6. Comparing of condylar bony changes, osseous remodeling were observed highest, osteophyte lowest in the affected and non-affected side of the two groups. After treatment, comparison of condylar bony changes were observed more decreased erosive features in the ASU group than the placebo group.