Movement of the mandibular condyle and activity of the masseter and lateral pterygoid muscles during masticatory-like jaw movements induced by electrical stimulation of the cortical masticatory area of rabbits.

We examined the functional role of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LP) and the masseter muscle (MS) in the movement of the mandibular condyle in masticatory-like jaw movements induced by electrical stimulation of the cortical masticatory area of urethane-anaesthetised rabbits. EMGs of the LP and MS were recorded along with video images of the mandibular condyle movement filmed with a high-speed CCD camera at a time resolution of 8 ms. The time required for the contractile force of the MS and LP to emerge as bite force or jaw movement was determined by direct electrical stimulation to respective muscles: 32.8+/-1.5 ms for the MS and 34.3+/-2.9 ms for the LP. The LP on the working side showed biphasic activity not only in the jaw-opening phase but also in the middle occlusal phase. It is assumed that the MS on the working side begins to exert actually the maximum mechanical influence on the bite force 32.8 ms after its EMG peak in the early occlusal phase. Such development of the mechanical effect of the MS during middle occlusal phase is appeared to be involved in stabilization of the condyle in the middle occlusal phase. Approximately 25 ms (25.1+/-2.5 ms) after the peak of mechanical influence of the MS, the mechanical influence of the working-side LP activity reached maximum in the late stage of the occlusal phase. This LP mechanical influence seems to be functionally associated with an antero-inferior movement of the working side condyle in the late stage of the occlusal phase that is coincident with a movement of the incisal point towards the balancing side across the midline.