A study on the determination of the instantaneous center of rotation pathway and the movement of the mandible by using the B-spline method

B-splint법에 의한 순간 회전 중심로 결정과 하악운동에 관한 연구

Recently the instantaneous center concept has been to understand the biomechanics by which a tissue derangement causes a mechanical derangement in human joint. Therefore, to understand the biomechanics of temporomandibular joint (T.M.J.) as a part of human joint, it is necessary to clarify the instantaneous center of rotation (I.C.R.) in the mandibular movement. Twenty male subjects without T.M.J. disorder and mandibular deviation during the mandibular movement were selected for this study. The habitual opening and closing paths were recorded on the paper of the sagittal metal plate by two pencil markers connected to the resin open clutch attached on the lower teeth, which was designed for this study. The coordinates of the 33-target points and the 109-anatomical landmarks were obtained using a Summagraphic digitizer connected to a 18AT computer. The original raw data of the opening and closing paths were smoothed by B-spline curve fitting technique and then the I.C.R. pathways were determined mathematically by the computer using algorithm for finding the I.C.R. of a planer rigid body model. Also the opening and closing movements of the mandible were simulated according to the determined I.C.R. The results obtained from this study were as follows. 1. At the early opening and the last closing, I.C.R's were almost distributed around the mastoid process outside the mandibular body without the presence in the region of the mandibular condyle. 2. The I.C.R. pathway showed variable patterns to each subject at the opening and closing movements. 3. The K constant with uniform pattern was obtained by the rotation angle times the radius, which was assumed to the index of the mandibular movement. 4. The opening and closing movements of the mandible were simulated by the I.C.R. pathways at the habitual opening and closing movements. 5. The mandibular condyle was rotated or translated accordng to the relative rotation angle and radius of the determinant factors of K contant.