Is Intra-Articular Steroid Injection to the Temporomandibular Joint for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis More Effective and Efficient When Performed With Image Guidance?

PURPOSE: To compare short-term outcomes and procedure times for intra-articular steroid injection (IASI) to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) with and without the use of intraoperative image guidance for patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of children with JIA who underwent TMJ IASI at Boston Children's Hospital (Boston, MA). Patients were divided into groups according to IASI technique: 1) "landmark" group if performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon using an anatomic landmark technique with no intraoperative image guidance or 2) "image-guided" group if performed by an interventional radiologist using intraoperative ultrasound and computed tomography. Predictor variables included IASI technique (landmark vs image guided), age, gender, JIA subtype, category of medications for arthritis, and presence of family history of autoimmune disease. Outcome variables were changes in patient-reported pain, maximal incisal opening (MIO), synovial enhancement ratio (ER), and total procedure time. RESULTS: Forty-five patients with 71 injected TMJs were included. Twenty-two patients with 36 injected TMJs were in the landmark group and 23 patients with 35 injected joints were in the image-guided group. There were no relevant differences in age, gender, family history of rheumatologic disease, or disease subtype between groups. There were no differences in resolution of pain (P = 1.00), increase in MIO (P = .975), or decrease in ER (P = .492) between groups, but procedure times averaged 49 minutes longer for the image-guided group (P < .008). CONCLUSIONS: There were no statistical differences in short-term outcomes, but procedure times were longer for the image-guided group. Although specific indications for the use of image guidance might exist, routine use of this procedure cannot be justified.

Quantifying the Effect of Temporomandibular Joint Intra-Articular Steroid Injection on Synovial Enhancement in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

PURPOSE: To quantify the effect of intra-articular steroid injections (IASIs) on temporomandibular joint (TMJ) synovitis in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) using gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study was a retrospective study of children with JIA who had undergone TMJ IASIs at Boston Children's Hospital. The patients were included if they had undergone contrast-enhanced MRI both before and after IASI and if the pre-IASI MRI had demonstrated synovitis (enhancement ratio [ER] >1.55). Patients with TMJ pathology or pain unrelated to JIA or a history of facial trauma were excluded. The predictor variables were age, gender, JIA subtype, exposure to medications for arthritis, and a family history of autoimmune disease. The primary outcome variable was the ER. Additional outcome variables included patient-reported pain and the maximal incisal opening (MIO). RESULTS: Twenty-nine subjects (83% female) with a total of 50 injected TMJs were included. The average age at JIA diagnosis and at IASI was 6.8 ± 1.7 years and 12.1 ± 1.9 years, respectively. The mean follow-up period was 22.9 ± 4.3 months (range 5 to 48). The ER decreased in all injected joints, with a mean reduction of 1.05 ± 1.01 (P < .001). The post-IASI ER was less than the normal threshold (1.55) in 18% of the injected TMJs. IASI was associated with an elimination of pain in 89% of the subjects (P < .001) and in augmentation of the MIO by 5.8 ± 2.6 mm (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In children with JIA and TMJ synovitis, TMJ IASI was associated with a reduction in synovial enhancement, decreased pain, and an increased MIO. Only 18% of injected joints, however, experienced complete resolution of synovitis. These results support the use of IASI in the management of the pain and dysfunction associated with TMJ synovitis. Further study is required to determine the efficacy of IASI in limiting inflammation and future joint destruction.

Quantifying Temporomandibular Joint Synovitis in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) frequently affects the temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and is often undetected by history, examination, and plain imaging. Qualitative assessment of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance images (MRIs) is currently the standard for diagnosis of TMJ synovitis associated with JIA. The purpose of this study is to apply a quantitative analysis of synovial enhancement to MRIs of patients with and without JIA to establish a disease threshold and sensitivity and specificity for the technique. METHODS: This is a retrospective case-control study of children (age ≤16 years) who had MRIs with gadolinium including the TMJs. Subjects were divided into a JIA group and a control group. From a coronal T1-weighted image, a ratio (enhancement ratio [ER]) of the average pixel intensity within three 0.2-mm2 regions of interest (ROIs) in the TMJ synovium to that of a 50-mm2 ROI of the longus capitis muscle was calculated. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the sensitivity and specificity. The inter- and intraexaminer reliability was evaluated with Bland-Altman plots and 2-way mixed, absolute agreement intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS: There were 187 and 142 TMJs included in the JIA and control groups, respectively. An ER threshold of 1.55 had a sensitivity and specificity for detecting synovitis of 91% and 96%, respectively. The inter- and intraexaminer reliability was excellent. CONCLUSION: Calculating a ratio of pixel intensity between the TMJ synovium and the longus capitis muscle is a reliable way to quantify synovial enhancement. An ER of 1.55 differentiates normal TMJs from those affected by inflammatory arthritis.