| Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) usually present with symptoms
and signs such as pain, mandibular movement, dysfunction, or joint sounds.
Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) is a biologic toxin which inhibits skeletal
muscle through hindering the production of acetylcholine in the nerve endings.
This toxin is used for the treatment of hyperactivity of lateral pterygoid muscle
and TMD symptoms. This comprehensive review aimed to evaluate the effect
of BTX-A injections in the lateral pterygoid muscle on treatment of TMDs
symptoms.In this study, online databases including Scopus, Medline, Ebsco,
Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google scholar were searched for the keywords
“pterygoid muscle” and “Onabotulinumtoxin A”. Twenty-four articles were
eligible to be enrolled in the study. In 4 interventional studies and 20 descriptive
studies, BTX-A was used for the treatment of TMDs. The dosage and
number of injections were different in each study; however, the injection methods
were relatively similar. Regardless of the type, number of injections, and
dosage, injection of BTX-A in lateral pterygoid seems effective in reducing the
click sound and other TMJ-related muscle disorders such as pain, hyperactivity,
and dysfunction. |