Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2026
In Vivo Functional Assessment of Rat Masseter Muscle Following Surgical Creation of a Volumetric Muscle Loss (VML) Injury
Published on: November 15, 2024
A novel vibratory stimulation-based splint for chronic and untreatable masticatory myofascial pain: a case-series
Emilio Satoshi Hara1, Andrea Lusvarghi Witzel, Carlos Eduardo Pitta de Luca
1Oral Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Japan.
Aim:
This clinical report aimed to introduce a novel vibratory stimulation-based occlusal splint (VibS) for management of chronic and untreatable masticatory myofascial pain (MMFP).
Methods:
This study was conducted on four chronic MMFP patients (mean age: 27.5±5.56 years, females) who were diagnosed according to the research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD), and who were using stabilization splints for more than 6 months and still complained of pain above 40 mm in a 100-mm VAS scale. The included subjects utilized the active VibS and subsequently the inactive VibS during 30 days in each trial, separated by a wash-out period of at least 8 months. VAS pain levels were the only measured dependent variable, and were recorded before and after the use of active VibS and inactive VibS.
Results:
At baseline, mean VAS pain levels before using the active or inactive splint were 54.5±19.8 mm and 44.0±13.6 mm, respectively. After using the active VibS, mean pain level decreased by 77% (VASpos-pre=-42.0±30.3 mm). On the other hand, after using the inactive VibS, severe pain aggravation of 67% in magnitude was observed (VASpos-pre=+29.5±21.5 mm).
Conclusion:
This case-series study demonstrated a good tendency of this novel VibS in chronic MMFP alleviation after a 4-week management period compared to a control inactive VibS.
