The Geniohyoid Muscle Directly Affects Masticatory Function: Evaluation with Decision-Tree Analysis.

PURPOSE: To clarify the effect of geniohyoid (GH) muscle morphology and related function on masticatory ability using a decision-tree analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 103 participants were enrolled. A cross-sectional area (CSA) of the GH muscle, neck circumference, body mass index, tongue pressure, jaw opening strength, and masticatory ability score were measured. The CSA of the GH muscle was selected as an independent variable for the first layer of the decision tree, with masticatory score as the dependent variable. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the CSA of the GH muscle may have a large impact on the masticatory ability score when evaluating masticatory ability.