External location of the buccinator muscle to facilitate electromyographic analysis

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Regina Helena Barbosa Tavares da
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Outros Autores: Porciúncula, Hélio Ferraz, Jardini, Renata Savastano Ribeiro [UNIFESP], Pita, Ana Paula Gonçalves, Ribeiro, Ana Paula Dias
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNIFESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0103-64402008000200008; http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/4179
• topic: facial muscles; buccinator muscle; electromyography

Electromyography is frequently used to measure the activity of masticatory muscles. It requires the precise setting of the electrodes, which demands the accurate location of the muscle to be evaluated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of an external method to locate the buccinator muscle. Fifteen human cadavers were evaluated and planes were determined on the face using anatomic landmarks. An angle (a) was obtained at the intersection of these planes on the central point of buccinator muscle and measured with a protractor. The value of the angle allows locating the central point of buccinator muscle based on anatomic landmarks on the face. Statistical analysis of the collected data indicated an angle of 90º with 95% reliability, thus proving the efficacy of the proposed method.