Predicting muscle patterns for hemimandibulectomy models

Abstract

Deficits in movement and bite force are common in patients following segmental resection of the mandible consequent to oral cancer or injury. We have previously developed a dynamic model to analyse the biomechanics of an ungrafted segmental jaw resection with unilateral muscle and joint loss and post-surgical scarring. Here, we describe an inverse-modelling algorithm for automatically predicting muscle activations in the model for prescribed jaw movement and bite-force production. We present the results of simulations that postulate combined muscle activation patterns that could theoretically be used by patients to overcome post-surgical deficits. Such predictions could be the basis for future muscle retraining in clinical cases.