Temporomandibular Joint Pain and Synovial Fluid Analysis: A Review of the Literature

The pathophysiology of temporomandibular joint pain is not well understood. A significant amount of research has been conducted to evaluate synovial fluid in these patients and in healthy controls. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the synovial fluid have shown a significant difference between these groups. A multitude of inflammatory mediators and degradation products have been identified. The concentration of these products has been shown to correlate with several clinical parameters including pain, chronicity, severity of degenerative change, and response to treatment. A common inflammatory pathway would appear to be involved in most patients. At the present time, synovial fluid analysis does not have the sensitivity or specificity to allow specific diagnoses and targeted treatment. Continued research with the specific aim of establishing more appropriate therapeutic modalities based on the biochemical pathways is warranted.