Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Kinematics
Geometry and anatomy
Mechanical actions
3D video analysis
(in vivo)
Dissections
(Recent corpses)
MRI & Electromyography
(in vivo)
Displacements of the contact
points, meniscus and condyles
Muscles
Insertion zones
Displacements
mandible/cranium
Geometry of the osseous zones
Muscle effort directions
Muscle efforts
Bite force
Actions transmitted by the
temporomandibular joint
(Contact zone : temporal bone/condyle)
Kinematics of the
temporomandibular joint
(Local displacements : condyle, incisor)
Relation Kinematics/actions
Fig. 2
Experimental protocol to characterize the TMJ
1.2.2
Electromyography and MRI
The protocol used electromyography and IRM data to evaluate the intensity of the
action of the elevator muscles under loading. This load was measured by a sensor
which also regulated the distance between the incisors. Articular contact forces
could be determined by calculation.
1.2.3
3D Video Analysis
The protocol used 3D video analysis techniques to describe the overall kinematics of
the mandible without loading. Displacements from a point on the mandible or from
the centre of the joint were then obtained by calculation. From a population of 32
volunteers, the study established a correlation between the kinematic characteristics
of the joint and the disk-condyle trajectories. The geometrical characteristics of the
articular tubercle slope and inter-individual variations were quantified, which will
be useful in TMJ prosthesis design [
15
-
17
].
1.2.4
Experimental Protocol
The organizational chart below shows the relationships between three types of
experimental readings. The study of articular geometry and muscle forces are
described in Sect.
2
(Fig.
2
).
