Analysis of masticatory efficiency by electromyographic activity of masticatory muscles after surgical treatment of zygomatic-orbital complex fractures

Fractures of the zygomatic-orbital complex are related to oral and maxillofacial trauma and lead to important disorders that affect an individual from a functional and aesthetic point of view. The aim of this study was to perform a medium-term evaluation of the masticatory efficiency following the surgical reconstruction of generated fractures of masseter and temporal muscles using EMG analysis. The non-habitual electromyographic records of masseter and temporal muscles of 15 male subjects were examined for 16 weeks after surgical reconstruction of the zygomatic-orbital complex, which was achieved using the intraoral access technique and rigid internal fixation of the zygomatic-maxillary pillar. The resulting electromyographic data were evaluated using SPSS 19.0 software for Windows. At a 5 % significance level (p < 0.05) there was a significant difference in the efficiency of masticatory cycles over a period of 16 weeks. The reconstruction of the zygomatic-orbital complex via surgical treatment improved the masticatory efficiency of individuals.