Wilding R J, Lewin A
Department of Oral Biology, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Arch Oral Biol. 1994 Apr;39(4):333-43. doi: 10.1016/0003-9969(94)90125-2.
Chewing performance is an expression of the functional capacity of the jaws and teeth. In a recent study of fully dentate subjects, the variation in chewing performance could not be explained by differences in occlusal contact area. It was now decided to investigate the possibility that chewing performance might be associated with certain patterns of jaw movement. Data from two previous studies using the same subjects were analysed using a step-wise regression to select variables of jaw movement that could predict chewing performance. A multivariate model with an R2 value of 0.79 (p < 0.000) was generated with particle size as the dependent variable. Eight components of jaw movement made up the independent variables. Some of the more dominant variables in the model were those that describe a wide, bilateral chewing cycle with a predominantly lateral path of closure. Another powerful predictor of efficient chewing was a smooth, flowing movement with minimal changes in velocity. The inclusion of occlusal contact area in the model did not enhance its predictive capability. It was concluded that selected jaw-movement variables were significant determinations of chewing performance, and therefore could contribute to developing a baseline for normal masticatory function.
咀嚼能力是颌骨和牙齿功能的一种表现。在最近一项针对全口牙齿完好受试者的研究中，咀嚼能力的差异无法用咬合接触面积的不同来解释。现在决定研究咀嚼能力可能与某些特定的颌骨运动模式相关的可能性。使用逐步回归分析对之前两项针对相同受试者的研究数据进行分析，以选择能够预测咀嚼能力的颌骨运动变量。以颗粒大小为因变量生成了一个R2值为0.79（p < 0.000）的多变量模型。颌骨运动的八个组成部分构成了自变量。模型中一些更主要的变量是那些描述宽幅、双侧咀嚼循环且主要为侧向闭合路径的变量。高效咀嚼的另一个有力预测因素是速度变化最小的平稳流畅运动。将咬合接触面积纳入模型并未提高其预测能力。得出的结论是，选定的颌骨运动变量是咀嚼能力的重要决定因素，因此有助于建立正常咀嚼功能的基线。
