RESUMO
To examine the stiffness of the masseter muscle using sonographic elastography and to investigate its relationship with the most comfortable massage pressure in the healthy volunteers. In 16 healthy volunteers (10 men and 6 women), the Masseter Stiffness Index (MSI) was measured using EUB-7000 real-time tissue elastography. They underwent massages at three kinds of pressures using the Oral Rehabilitation Robot (WAO-1). A subjective evaluation regarding the comfort of each massage was recorded on the visual analogue scale. Elastography was also performed in two patients with temporomandibular joint dysfunction with the myofascial pain. The mean MSI of the right and left muscles in the healthy volunteers were 0.85 +/- 0.44 and 0.74 +/- 0.35 respectively. There was no significant difference between the right and left MSI in the healthy volunteers. The MSI was related to massage pressure at which the healthy men felt most comfortable. The two temporomandibular disorder patients had a large laterality in the MSI. The MSI was related to the most comfortable massage pressure in the healthy men. The MSI can be one index for determining the massage pressure.
Assuntos
Técnicas de Imagem por Elasticidade/métodos , Massagem/métodos , Músculo Masseter/diagnóstico por imagem , Síndrome da Disfunção da Articulação Temporomandibular/reabilitação , Adulto , Técnicas de Imagem por Elasticidade/instrumentação , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Massagem/instrumentação , Músculo Masseter/fisiologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Medição da Dor , Pressão , Limiar Sensorial , Síndrome da Disfunção da Articulação Temporomandibular/diagnóstico por imagemRESUMO
Three hundred and six mothers who gave birth to babies with cleft lip, or palate, or both, were matched with 306 who gave birth to healthy babies in the same area during the same time period. Significantly more babies in the cleft group had a family history of clefts (48/306 compared with 7/306, P<0.0001). In the cases studied, combined cleft lip and palate was significantly more common among boys (82/157 compared with 57/149, P=0.02) and cleft palate alone among girls (48/149 compared with 22/157, P=0.0002). Significantly more mothers reported some sort of illness during early pregnancy (101/306 compared with 74/306, P=0.02). There were no differences between the groups as far as dietary preferences were concerned but during early pregnancy the mothers who gave birth to babies with defects tended to drink less alcohol (<1 unit/week) (236 compared with 199, P=0.001) and less coffee (<1 cup/week) (159/306 compared with 131, P=0.03). However, in each case similar proportions gave up once the pregnancy was confirmed. Large multicentre studies are required to confirm or refute these findings.