title: [Biomechanical characteristics of masticatory muscles of rat after using bite plate].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to evaluate the changes on biomechanical characteristics of masticatory muscles of rat after using bite plate.
  
  
  METHODS
  30 growing rats were selected to wear the bite plate for four weeks. The changes of contractive force and time of masticatory muscles were measured by method and technique of biomechanics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The biomechanical characteristics of masticatory musclse changed significantly. The contractive tension and contraction time of masseter muscles increased shortened respectively, while that of the digastric muscles increased and prolonged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This suggests that the orthopedic mechanism of the bite plate is to alter the original masticatory muscle dynamics and finally to reach the goal of functional jaw orthopedics.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Stomatology, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D008297:Male; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D056948:Orthognathic Surgical Procedures; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar