AN INTEGRATED EMG STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF STERNOCLEIDOMASTOID AND MASSETER MUSCLES DURING OCCLUSAL FUNCTION

교합기능시 흉쇄유돌근과 교근의 관계에 대한 근전도학적 연구

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and masseter muscles during occlusal functions by means of EMG recordings of examined muscles. For the study, eighteen normal subjects were selected and the Bio-electric Processor EM2 (Myo-tronics Research, Inc., U.S.A.) with the surface electrodes was used to record the EMG activity from the right and left middle of masseter and insertion of SCM of each subject during right and left gum-chewing and isometric contraction by changing the biting force at right eccentric position of jaw. The amount of biting force ranged from 5 to 70kg during isometric contraction were measured by use of Jaw Force Meter. (Nihon Koden Kogyo, Japan.) The results were as follows: 1. The activity onset of SCM and masseter on the same side was almost at the same time, and integrated EMG values of two muscles on the chewing side were higher than the same named muscles on the non-chewing side during gum-chewing. (p<0.01) 2. The regression correlation was not present between both masseters (p>0.05), but between both SCM muscles or muscles of two kinds on the chewing or non-chewing side. ($p{\leqq}0.05$) 3. The integrated EMG value of SCM on chewing or non-chewing side were about 10 percent of that of ipsilateral masseter. 4. Mean voltage of each examined muscles were almost proportional to biting force during isometric contraction and the slope of voltage/biting force line was steepest at the ipsilateral masseter, followed by contalateral masseter, ipsi- and contra-lateral SCM muscles. 5. Mean voltage of ipsilateral masseter was highest during isometric contraction, followed by ipsilateral masseter, contra- and ipsi-lateral SCM muscles.