title: Effects of experimental insoles on body posture, mandibular kinematics and masticatory muscles activity. A pilot study in healthy volunteers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has been hypothesized that different plantar sensory inputs could influence the whole body posture and dental occlusion but there is a lack of evidence on this possible association.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of experimental insoles redistributing plantar pressure on body posture, mandibular kinematics and electromyographic (EMG) activity of masticatory muscles on healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pilot study was conducted on 19 healthy volunteers that wore custom-made insoles normalizing the plantar pressure distribution for 2 weeks. Body posture parameters were measured by means of an optoelectronic stereophotogrammetric analysis; mandibular kinematics was analyzed by means of gothic arch tracings; superficial EMG activity of head and neck muscles was performed. Measurements were carried out 10 days before the insertion of the insoles, immediately before the insertion, the day after, 7 and 14 days after, in four different exteroceptive conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The outcomes of the present study show that insoles do not modify significantly over time the parameters of body posture, SEMG activity of head and neck muscles and mandibular kinematics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this pilot study the experimental insoles did not significantly influence the body posture, the mandibular kinematics and the activity of masticatory muscles during a 14-day follow up period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Orthodontics and Gnathology, "Alma Mater Studiorum" University of Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: ida.marini@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Orthodontics and Gnathology, "Alma Mater Studiorum" University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alessandri Bonetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Section of Orthodontics and Gnathology, University of Naples "Federico II", Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Section of Orthodontics and Gnathology, University of Naples "Federico II", Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Lavinia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bartolucci
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Orthodontics and Gnathology, "Alma Mater Studiorum" University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Section of Orthodontics and Gnathology, University of Naples "Federico II", Italy.
authors.forename: Ambra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Michelotti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology*; D061826:Foot Orthoses; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000502:physiology*; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Body posture; EMG; Insoles; Mandibular kinematics; Optoelectronic stereophotogrammetry