American journal of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics : official publication of the American Association of Orthodontists, its constituent societies, and the American Board of Orthodontics
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Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop · Jan 1990
Comparative StudyAdaptation of craniofacial muscles in subjects with craniomandibular disorders.
The purpose of this study was to examine muscle function in subjects with muscle pain. Forty-three subjects with pain in the craniomandibular muscles, clinically determined by manual palpation, were studied for alteration in recruitment of temporalis, masseter, and suprahyoid muscles during a series of phasic movements. Seventeen normal subjects were used as controls. ⋯ Comparison of the bilateral activity in the anterior temporalis muscles during intercuspal clenching shows that the subjects with muscle pain often demonstrate a more severe asymmetrical recruitment of these muscles than the more symmetrical recruitment seen in normal subjects. Similar observations were made for the masseter muscle. These studies demonstrate that subjects with muscle pain in craniomandibular muscles alter the recruitment of their jaw muscles, thus supporting the concept that the neuromuscular system is altered in patients with craniomandibular disorders.