No abstract

The influence of changes in the masticatory function on bone mass, bone density and cortical thickness was analyzed in different functional units of the mandible of the growing rat. Young male albino rats were fed either a hard diet or a soft diet for 4 wk. Undecalcified coronal sections were selected from five mandibular regions and microradiographic images of the specimens alongside an aluminium stepwedge were obtained. Bone mass and density were measured at selected sites with a computer-aided image analysis system. Cortical thickness was measured on diagrams. The reduced masticatory function in the soft diet group produced different adaptive responses in the tested regions of the mandible. Some regions showed reduced cortical thickness (underneath the incisor and lateral to the first molar and some locations of the ramus), a few showed reduced bone density (medial to the first molar and in the ramus), and only one showed both (in the ramus). Reduced bone mass was associated mostly with thinner cortical bone rather than lower cortical bone density. Changes in cortical thickness and changes in bone density may be two different mechanisms for adjusting local mechanical properties in the mandible of the rat. Masticatory muscle function is a determinant for the amount and density of cortical and trabecular bone and may possibly influence results of orthodontic tooth movement and its possible relapse.

The effect of altered masticatory muscle function on bone mass at different sites in the rat mandible was studied using aluminium as a reference substance in computer-assisted image analysis. Forty-two growing male rats were divided into three groups, of which one group was killed at the beginning of the experiment to provide baseline values. Of the remaining two, one received a hard diet (control group) and the other a soft diet. After 28 days the rats were killed and the mandibles were excised. Lateral radiographs were taken of the mandible halves together with an aluminium stepwedge and then analysed by an image analysis system. Radiographic bone mass was measured in the transverse plane as ‘aluminium-equivalent thickness’ in millimetres. Standardized areas were chosen to investigate regions with different functional demands. Significant differences were found between the groups in the alveolar bone of the molars and the incisor, as well as in the condylar costa and the condylar process. Significant differences were also found in some areas related to muscle insertion, such as the anterior lower border of the ramus, whereas no statistically significant differences could be found in others, such as the posterior lower border of the angular process. In conclusion, altered masticatory function influences the amount of bone mass in certain parts of the mandible, where changes in applied bending forces have possibly altered the bone strain.

Functional appliances displace the mandible forward and/or downward, causing a stretching of the orofacial soft tissues, muscles included. The resulting forces are directly or indirectly transmitted to the underlying dento-skeletal tissues. The hypothesis underlying the present investigation was that the insertion of a bite-opening appliance influences the lateral morphology of the rat mandible during growth, and that, moreover, this influence depends on the masticatory functional demands. One-hundred and four 4-wk-old male albino rats were divided into two groups, fed a hard and soft diet, respectively. After 2 wk, half of the animals in each experimental group were fitted with upper posterior blocks, and 4 wk later they were killed. Their left hemi-mandibles were transilluminated, photographed under magnification, and digitized on screen. A total of 170 points were used to draw the lateral outline of the mandible. In addition to the inhibitory effect on the height of the dento-alveolar process, the upper bite block resulted in significant changes in the condyle inclination, the length of the coronoid process, and the occlusal plane inclination. Masticatory functional demands influenced this adaptation in an additive way. The results raise the question of whether orthodontic treatment with posterior bite blocks might have different effects on the mandible, depending on the characteristics of the orofacial soft tissues.