Efficacy of Autologous Conditioned Serum in Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Autologous Conditioned Serum and Platelet-rich Plasma in Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis; A Randomized Prospective Study

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are health conditions that can occur at any age and are recognized as the most common cause of chronic pain, affecting 5-12% of the population. Pain in the TMJ region can lead to limitations in mouth opening and lateral movements of the mandible.

In cases where conservative treatments are insufficient for TMJ disorders and osteoarthritis, symptoms can be alleviated through arthrocentesis, a minimally invasive procedure with a low risk of complications, or through various intra-articular injection applications following arthrocentesis.

This study aims to compare the clinical efficacy of intra-articular applications of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and autologous conditioned serum (ACS), both derived from the patient's own blood, in order to evaluate their impact on treatment outcomes and their potential role in enhancing patient care in routine clinical practice."

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis
• Intervention / Treatment: Biological: Autologous Conditioned Serum, Genesis Biyomedikal, Sanakin®-Acrs produce; Biological: Platelet Rich Plasma; Other: Control Group/ Only Arthrocentesis

Detailed Description

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders are health conditions that can occur at any age and negatively impact quality of life. One of the treatment methods for this condition includes arthrocentesis and intra-articular injections.

Among the cytokines identified in orthopedic and trauma-related diseases, interleukin-1 (IL-1) has been shown to have particular significance. Increased local cytokine release triggers the destruction of hyaline cartilage and matrix, leading to osteoarthritis and worsening symptoms. Although the details vary, published studies suggest that when IL-1Ra is present at concentrations 10 to 10,000 times higher than IL-1, all IL-1 receptors and IL-1-triggered reactions can be effectively blocked.

With the Sanakin®-ACRS kit developed by Genesis Biomedical, a patient's blood is drawn, incubated, and then centrifuged, resulting in a serum rich in IL-1Ra and growth factors-known as autologous conditioned serum (ACS). Studies have demonstrated that ACS injections yield highly successful results in treating knee and TMJ osteoarthritis. Additionally, numerous studies have shown that platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which contains a high concentration of growth factors, is also highly effective in wound healing.

This study is designed to compare the effectiveness of PRP and ACS injections-both derived from the patient's own blood but prepared using different methods-in alleviating symptoms associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. The investigation aims to assess their efficacy as accessible, cost-effective, and low-risk treatment alternatives."

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 75
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Centre/Batman
    • Batman, Centre/Batman, Turkey (Türkiye), 72100
      • Batman University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Over 18 years old
• Previously received conservative treatment but no improvement in symptoms
• Patients with TMJ osteoarthritis

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who have experienced TMJ trauma or have undergone surgical procedures in this region will be excluded from the study.
• Patients with facial growth disorders, systemic inflammatory joint diseases, condylar pathologies, or signs of myalgia
• Patients who are pregnant or in the lactation period

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group 1 Autologous Conditioned Serum; Approximately 10 mL of venous blood will be drawn from patients receiving Autologous Conditioned Serum (ACS) treatment and placed into a specialized tube (Genesis Biomedical, Sanakin®-ACRS kit) containing glass beads designed to facilitate the adhesion of monocytes and other sticky molecules. The tube will then be incubated at 37°C for 3 hours, following the manufacturer's instructions. After the incubation period, the tube will be centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 5 minutes. The resulting serum will then be transferred into a new syringe for intra-articular injection. After completing the arthrocentesis, the needle in the second entry point will be removed, and 1 mL of ACS will be injected into the joint.	Biological: Autologous Conditioned Serum, Genesis Biyomedikal, Sanakin®-Acrs produce; Arthrocentesis and 1ml ACS injection will be performed twice in total, two weeks apart.
Active Comparator: Group 2 Platelet Rich Plasma; For patients receiving platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment, approximately 10 mL of venous blood will be collected in a tube containing sodium citrate and centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes. After centrifugation, the buffy coat (the middle layer) and a portion of the upper plasma layer will be aspirated into a syringe, excluding the lower layer rich in erythrocytes. After completing the arthrocentesis, the needle in the second entry point will be removed, and 1 mL of PRP will be injected into the joint.	Biological: Platelet Rich Plasma; Arthrocentesis and 1ml PRP injection will be performed twice in total, two weeks apart.
Placebo Comparator: Group 3 Only Arthrocentesis; Arthrocentesis Procedure: Arthrocentesis and intra-articular injection will be performed under sterile conditions. Before the procedure, the skin of the ear and preauricular region will be cleansed with povidone-iodine, and the surrounding areas will be covered with a sterile drape. The joint area will then be anesthetized with approximately 1 cc of lidocaine (Jetokain®; Adeka).The injection entry points will be determined along the tragus-lateral canthus line. The first entry point located 10 mm anterior and 2 mm inferior to the tragus. The second entry point located 20 mm anterior and 8 mm inferior to the tragus. With the patient's mouth open, a 20-gauge needle will be inserted through the designated entry points, and irrigation with approximately 150 mL of 5% Ringer's lactate solution will be performed.	Other: Control Group/ Only Arthrocentesis; Arthrocentesis will be performed twice in total, two weeks apart.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain level	All patients' initial and post-operative pain levels will be measured with a 10-unit Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).	Measurements will be conducted preoperatively, as well as at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively
Maximum mouth opening measurement	The maximum mouth opening and the amount of lateral and protrusive movement of the mandible will be noted in millimeters with the help of a caliper	Measurements will be conducted preoperatively, as well as at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Batman University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Rojdan F GÜNEŞ UYSAL, PhD, Batman University; Study Chair: İbrahim UYSAL, PhD, Dicle University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 1, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 17, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 17, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 17, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 14, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Platelet-Rich Plasma; Arthrocentesis, TMJ
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Musculoskeletal Diseases; Arthritis; Joint Diseases; Rheumatic Diseases; Osteoarthritis; Investigative Techniques; Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Research Design; Methods; Control Groups
• Other Study ID Numbers: BatmanU-DF-RFGU-02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No