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Review
. 2020 Sep 15:2020:8846920.
doi: 10.1155/2020/8846920. eCollection 2020.

Surface Electromyography as a Method for Diagnosing Muscle Function in Patients with Congenital Maxillofacial Abnormalities

Liliana Szyszka-Sommerfeld  1 , Mariusz Lipski  2 , Krzysztof Woźniak  1
Affiliations
Review

Surface Electromyography as a Method for Diagnosing Muscle Function in Patients with Congenital Maxillofacial Abnormalities

Liliana Szyszka-Sommerfeld et al. J Healthc Eng. .

Abstract

Electromyography (EMG) is the most objective and reliable method available for imaging muscle function and efficiency, which is done by identifying their electrical potentials. In global surface electromyography (sEMG), surface electrodes are located on the surface of the skin, and it detects superimposed motor unit action potentials from many muscle fibers. sEMG is widely used in orthodontics and maxillofacial orthopaedics to diagnose and treat temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in patients, assess stomatognathic system dysfunctions in patients with malocclusions, and monitor orthodontic therapies. Information regarding muscle sEMG activity in subjects with congenital maxillofacial abnormalities is limited. For this reason, the aim of this review is to discuss the usefulness of surface electromyography as a method for diagnosing muscle function in patients with congenital malformations of the maxillofacial region. Original papers on this subject, published in English between 1995 until 2020, are located in the MEDLINE/PubMed database.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

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