Combined effect of fat graft and platelet – rich fibrin on temporomandibular joint disc disorders

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the growth center of the mandible and has a critical importance for functions such as chewing, breathing and speech. Osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) is the most common type of arthritis of the temporomandibular joint. As can be seen in the elderly patients as primer, stress during parafunctional activities contributes to similar degenerative changes in some patients. Trauma and internal derangement are still the most common causes of secondary osteoarthritis. It is difficult to treat cartilage damage due to the poor blood supply of the cartilage tissue and the low potential for healing. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of fat graft, which has stem cells, that could transform into many cell types, and Platelet – Rich Fibrin (PRF), which has many growth factors, on damaged temporomandibular articular cartilage. In the study, joint degeneration model was created by creating 3 mm defects in both TMJ disc laterals of subject rabbits. Fat graft from the neck region and PRF were placed on the right side. Left side was closed as a control group without further treatment. After 8 weeks, joint condyles and discs were removed and examined histopathologically by staining with H&E and Safranin - O. Joint surface structure, chondrocyte density, cell clustering and Safranin - O staining loss parameters were scored by a single expert histologist in both groups. As a result, it was seen that, deterioration of joint surface structure, clustering score, chondrocyte density and safranin - O staining showed similar values between the two groups.