Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of chondroitin sulfate (CS) and glucosamine (GS), the most relevant drugs of "Symptomatic Slow Acting Drug for Osteoarthritis" (SYSADOA), in the functional and symptomatic improvement of temporomandibular dysfunction. Although, controversy exists regarding their benefit.
Methods: An electronic search was conducted to retrieve randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs). The risk of bias assessment was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. Data were meta-analyzed with a random effect model whenever possible.
Results: Three RCTs were included. Qualitative results showed a decrease in pain, joint noise, and inflammatory biomarkers in synovial fluid and an improvement in maximum mouth opening without significant adverse effects. Meta-analysis showed a significant increase in maximum mouth opening with the use of CS-GS (p = 0.19). No statistically significant differences were found in pain reduction compared to tramadol.
Conclusion: CS-GS is effective and safe in the symptomatic and functional improvement of patients with TMD.
Keywords: Chondroitin sulfates; glucosamine; temporomandibular joint; temporomandibular joint disc; temporomandibular joint disorders; temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome.