AN ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THE MASSETER MUSCLES IN CHILDREN WITH SPACE MAINTAINER

보극장치(保隙裝置) 장착아동(裝着兒童)의 교근활성도(咬筋活性度)에 관(關)한 근전도학적(筋電圖學的) 연구(硏究)

Electromyographic studies were performed on the action of the masseter muscles. Among the children aged from 6 to 8 years, ten children with normal occlusion and another ten with space maintainer were selected. The children were divided into 3 groups. They were: 1) A group: Children who removed space maintainer 2) B group: Children who inserted space maintainer 3) C group: Children with normal occlusion. The electromyogram was recorded with 4 channel polygraph. (Grass model VII) Electrodes which were cup-typed gold disks, 9 millimeters in the diameter, were located on the superficial layer of masseter muscles. The electromyogram was recorded in the physiologic rest position, molar occlusion, chewing movement, protraction, left lateral movement, and right lateral movement. The conclusions were as follows. 1. In the physiologic rest position, lateral movement, the electrical potentials of the masseter muscles were not changed clearly in each groups. 2. In molar occlusion, chewing movement, The electrical potentials of the masseter muscles of the B group were almost 10% higher than those of A group, and were almost 60-70% in comparision with C group. 3. In protraction, the electrical potentials of the masseter muscles of the B group were almost 40% higher than those of A group, and were almost equal to C group. 4. The electrical activities of the masseter muscles in the mandibular movements were in the following order: (1) Molar occlusion (2) Chewing movement (3) Protraction (4) Lateral movement.