Clinical Effectiveness of Anterior Repositioning Splints in Treating Temporomandibular Joint Disc Displacement with Reduction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36283/ziun-pjmd14-3/062Keywords:
Temporomandibular Joint Disorders, Occlusal Splints, Physical Therapy ModalitiesAbstract
Background: The prevalent condition known as Temporomandibular joint disc displacement with reduction (DDwR) results in pain, together with joint sounds and problems related to the jaw structure. ARS treatment for DDwR was studied in this systematic review and meta-analysis to determine its effect on joint symptoms and pain intensity.
Methods: This systematic review and a meta-analysis applied the PRISMA 2020 guide. A search of literature was done in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar till April 2025. Included studies were randomized controlled trials, any other clinical trial, and case series. Data was screened by two reviewers, and the quality assessment was carried out by using the GRADE approach, and the risk of bias was measured with the help of the Cochrane tool and ROBINS-I. The random-effects model was used to perform meta-analysis in RevMan 5.4.1.
Results: Nine clinical trials (n = 379) were incorporated to support the good performance of anterior repositioning splints (ARS) in cases of the temporomandibular joint disc displacement with reduction (DDWR). Sufficient and comparable data were available from four studies to generate the forest plot for TMJ pain outcomes. The heterogeneity showed that the results of ARS therapy were high in reducing TMJ pain with a pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) of -1.61 (95% CI: -3.19 -0.02 P < 0.05) when analyzing these studies.
Discussion: The application of ARS shows great potential when treating DDwR because it provides substantial advantages as a non-invasive conservative therapy, however, the current evidence is limited by variability in study designs and small sample sizes.
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