title: Functional jaw muscle assessment in patients with a full fixed prosthesis on a limited number of implants: a review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Full fixed prosthesis on a limited number of implants (FFP) are a viable treatment option for edentulous patients with a reduced amount of residual bone. Jaw muscular function in FFP patients has been evaluated in several studies, however heterogeneous data emerge from literature.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this review of the literature was to assess the function of jaw muscles in edentulous patients restored with full fixed prostheses on a limited number (≤ 6) of implants, as compared to dentate subjects and edentulous subjects wearing dentures, implant-supported overdentures or full fixed prostheses supported by more than six implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic search of databases up to December 2013 was performed. The articles were selected using specific inclusion criteria, independent of the study design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1598 records were identified. After removing the duplicates and excluding records based on title and abstract, only 37 eligible records were identified. After full-text review, seventeen studies were selected for analysis according to the inclusion criteria. From the included studies, only one evaluated masseter muscle thickness in a cross sectional study by means of ultrasound, while the 16 remaining papers evaluated muscular function by using electromyography (EMG). Those studies analysed several heterogeneous parameters throughout the execution of five functional tests and were therefore described and pooled according to the following task categories: clenching; swallowing; reflex and fatigue for statics; and chewing for dynamics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of selected studies seem to indicate that, compared to dentate controls, FFP patients display a global satisfactory neuromuscular equilibrium in static activities, but still have some impairment during chewing.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Dellavia
authors: Riccardo
authors: R
authors: Rosati
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Del Fabbro
authors: Gaia
authors: G
authors: Pellegrini
mesh_terms: D015921:Dental Implants; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D003824:Denture, Complete; D003828:Denture, Overlay; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants