[A clinical study on the relationship between chewing movements and masticatory muscle activities]

Chewing movement is one of the most important functional and physiological jaw movements, and it is coordinated by the three elements of the functional occlusion system (teeth, TMJs and masticatory muscles). However, the relationship between chewing movement and these elements has not been clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between chewing movement and the activity of the masticatory muscles which directly control jaw movements. 25 subjects with normal stomatognathic function, 5 patients with MPD syndrome (muscle dysfunction group) and 5 patients with unilateral TMJ internal derangement (TMJ dysfunction group) were selected. 6 gums with different hardness were used as the test bolus. Sirognathograph Electromyograph Analysing System was used to simultaneously record chewing movements and electromyograms of the right and left masseter, anterior temporal, posterior temporal and anterior belly of digastric muscles. Using the analysing software which was developed for this study, chewing movements and muscle activities were analysed. The results were as follow; A. In normal subjects 1. Gum hardness influenced durations of the closing and occluding phases, maximum opening and closing speed, opening degree and deviation of opening and closing path. 2. Gum hardness influenced muscle activities except of the time factors of digastric bursts. 3. Durations of the closing and occluding phases were found to be related with the elevator muscle activities. Maximum closing speed was related with the masseter and anterior temporal muscle activities. Deviation of closing path was related with the anterior and posterior temporal muscle activities. B. In abnormal subjects 1. The changes mainly observed in the muscle activities were found to be significantly different between the muscle dysfunction group and normal group. Similarly, the changes mainly observed in the chewing movements were different between the TMJ dysfunction group and normal group. 2. When compared with the relationships in normal subjects, changes were observed in the relationships for closing movement in the muscle dysfunction group. In contrast, changes were observed in the relationships for opening movement in the TMJ dysfunction group. From the results, close relationships were found between chewing movements and muscle activities, and were characteristically influenced by stomatognathic dysfunction.