Surface electromyography of the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles in patients with malocclusion types I and II
Keywords:
Electromyography, malocclusion, masseter muscle, temporal muscle, PeruAbstract
Introduction: Depending on the type of malocclusion, the masticatory muscles transmit tension and pressure forces to the craniofacial structures, causing hyperactivity or muscle fatigue responses. Understanding muscle function facilitates early detection of dysfunction. Electromyographic evaluation is a reliable and unbiased diagnostic tool that records the electrical activity of muscle tissue.
Objective: To evaluate the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles by surface electromyography in patients with type I and type II malocclusion.
Methods: A quantitative, relational, cross-sectional study was performed. The study group consisted of 32 patients from 18 to 25 years of age (16 females, 16 males) attending the Hospital Militar Central in Lima (Peru), equally divided into groups with type I and II malocclusion according to the selection criteria. Mean muscle amplitude was measured according to site, jaw position status and sex, following the recommendations of the Surface Electromyography Non Invasive Methods Project. Data were analyzed using SPSS23 software and within-subject and between-subject hypothesis testing using ANOVA (Bonferroni). The study was approved by the institutional ethics committee (Ofic. No. 314//AA-11/8/HMC/DADCI).
Results: In occlusion and for both types of malocclusion, the highest mean muscle amplitude were recorded for the masseter (type I = 2.4 µV; type II = 2.7 µV) and anterior temporalis (type I = 3.6 µV; type II = 4.7 µV) muscles. The group with type II anterior temporalis malocclusion had the highest mean (4.7 µV). A main effect malocclusion type was found for the mean amplitude variable for masseter (µV [F (1,28) = 74.257; p<0.05]) and anterior temporalis (µV [F (1,28) = 57.228; p < 0.05]).
Conclusions: The distribution of mean muscle amplitude values was different in each type of malocclusion (I and II) in both the masseter and the anterior temporalis.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Adriana Mendoza-Gil, Cesar Augusto Molina-Delgado, Vilma Mamani-Cori, Sheyla Danitza Arcos-Gordillo, Wilber Quispe Flores, Katia del Rosario Mamani Calsín
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