title: Masseter muscle sonographic features as indices for evaluating efficacy of massage treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to clarify the sonographic features of the masseter muscle as indices for judging the efficacy of massage treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with temporomandibular disorder (10 with unilateral and 5 with bilateral muscle pain) underwent massage treatment alternately on the bilateral masseter and temporal muscles with an oral rehabilitation robot. Sonography was performed before and after treatment, and the masseter thickness and existence of anechoic areas were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The thickness on the symptomatic side in the unilateral group significantly decreased after treatment. Anechoic areas were shown in 20 muscles (66.7%) before treatment, and disappeared or were reduced in size in 17 muscles (85.0%) after treatment. The pretreatment thickness was significantly related to visual analog scale (VAS) scores regarding posttreatment muscle pain and massage impression. The existence of anechoic areas was relevant to VAS scores regarding muscle pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Masseter thickness and existence of anechoic areas might be related to the therapeutic efficacy regarding muscle pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology,Aichi-Gakuin University School of Dentistry, Nagoya, Japan. yoshiko@dpc.agu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ariji
authors.forename: Akitoshi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Katsumata
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiraiwa
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izumi
authors.forename: Shigemitsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kurita
authors.forename: Eiichiro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ariji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008406:Masseter Muscle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013706:Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult