Purpose: Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) might be the main cause of the non-dental orofacial pain. Various
treatment modalities were introduced to treat that condition. Low level laser therapy (LLLT) had an anti-inflammatory and
analgesic effect by enhancing the circulation and the cellular respiration. Synovial fluid-mesenchymal stem cells (SF-MSCs)
had a regenerative and immunoregulatory effect. Both methods were applied as a treatment for the condition; but with no
comparative studies in the literature. So, the current study aimed at evaluating their therapeutic effects.
Material and methods: A total of 27 patients with TMD in 40 TMJs were randomly divided into two equal groups. In group I,
LLLT was applied at four successive weeks. For group II, SF-MSCs were isolated, proliferated and pooled at Passage 4 to be
injected into the joint space at four successive weeks.
Results: SF-MSCs therapy was superior to the LLLT with regards to the enhancement of the maximum mouth opening and the
reduction of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNFα. With regards to interleukin-6, there was no statistically significant
difference. However, for pain reduction, LLLT was better than SF-MSCs; but not after the third week.
Conclusion: Both treatment methods are accepted modalities; but SF-MSCs were more superior and had more sustained
results.