Investigation of predictors affecting food mixing ability in mandibulectomy and/or glossectomy patients.
OBJECTIVE
Several previous reports have described factors that affect masticatory function. However, there are no known predictors that affect the food mixing ability of the masticatory function, and it has been impossible to predict masticatory function in mandibulectomy and/or glossectomy patients. The purpose of the present study was to develop a numerical formula that could predict the food mixing ability of the masticatory function among mandibulectomy and/or glossectomy patients. The null hypothesis of the study was that five predictors, namely mandibulectomy, mandibular continuity, number of residual mandibular teeth, occlusal units and tongue movement score, were unable to account for the mixing ability index (MAI) in mandibulectomy and/or glossectomy patients.


METHODS
The subjects were 20 patients who had undergone mandibulectomy and/or glossectomy. The above-described five predictors were assessed. Tongue movement was evaluated with a tongue movement test and the MAI was evaluated with a mixing ability test. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine whether the five predictors affected the MAI after prosthetic treatment.


RESULTS
A regression equation was determined for the five predictors (R(2)=0.83; adjusted R(2)=0.77; p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The obtained regression equation could successfully account for the MAI in mandibulectomy and/or glossectomy patients.
Department of Maxillofacial Prosthetics, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. otommfp@tmd.ac.jp
Takafumi
T
Otomaru
Yuka I
YI
Sumita
Qingan
Q
Chang
Kenji
K
Fueki
Yoshimasa
Y
Igarashi
Hisashi
H
Taniguchi
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D005927:Glossectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008409:Mastication; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014059:Tongue / Q000503:physiopathology*