Electromyographic activity of the jaw-closing muscles during jaw opening in patients with masseter muscle contracture

Contracture of the jaw-closing muscles is one of the causes of limitation of jaw opening. This study examined whether there is any difference between the EMG activities of jaw-closing muscles during jaw opening in healthy people and in patients with masseter muscle contracture (MMC), who do not have a history of trauma or infection. The patient group consisted of eleven females, 18 to 62 years old with no history of trauma or infections, with limited mouth opening due to MMC. The control group included eleven healthy females, 23 to 50 years old. The EMG activity was recorded bilaterally in the central portion of masseter muscles (Mm), the anterior portion of temporal muscles (Tm), and the anterior belly of digastric muscles (Dm). Nine out of the patient group showed obvious EMG activity in Mm during jaw opening which was different from typical EMG patterns during jaw opening of up to 40 mm in the control group. Among the nine patients, eight showed antagonistic contraction in Tm as well as Mm. The mean integral value of Mm and Tm during jaw opening in the patient group was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01). These results suggest that EMG activity during jaw opening in MMC patients with no history of trauma or infections is different from that in healthy people.