Electromyographic Activities of the Sternocleidomastoid Muscle during Masticatory Function

저작기능이 흉쇄유돌근의 근활성도에 미치는 영향

The author has synchronously recorded the average electromyographic activities of the sternocleidomastoid muscles, the anterior temporal muacles and the masseter muscles. The marious levels of occlusal force were checked during clenching the resin plates which are made to fit each of the maxillary and the mandibular teeth. These activities were recorded in order to study the EMG activity pattern of the sternocleidomastoid muscle during the masticatory function of the jaw in 11 healthy subjects. The obtined results were as follows : 1. The electromyographic activities of the sternocleidomastoid muscles, the anterior temporal muscles and the masseter muscles were increased as the occlusal force increased, and the sternocleidomastoid muscles have a lineal correlationship with the occlusal force. 2. The sternocleidomastoid muscles and the masseter muscles showed higher EMG activity during clenching at the ventroflexed head position rather than at the extended head position. (p<0.05) However the EMG activities of the anterior temporal muscles showed no difference between the ventroflexed position and the extended position of the head. 3. The electromyographic activities of the sternocleidomastoid muscles, the anterior temporal muscles and the masseter muscles during clenching are similar at the habitual position and at the retruded condylar position. 4. The electromyographic activities of the sternocleidomastoid muscles, the anterior temporal muscles and the masseter muscles on the working side during mastication of gum and almonds are significantly higher than on the balancing side except the masseter muscles during mastication of almonds. (p<0.05, P<0.01) 5. The asymmetry of gum are lower than that during mastication of almonds. (p<0.05) The asymmetry indices of the sternocleidomastoid muscles are higher than those of the anterior temporal muscles and masseter muscles.