Development of a static simulator of the mandible

Our aim was to build and assess a static mandibular simulator capable of re producing various masticatory exercises as closely as possible to physiolog ical situations. Unlike existing devices that reproduce a small number of e xercises and of muscular bundles, our simulator is able to reproduce all ty pes of effort in the sagittal plane and integrates eleven muscular groups c onsidered by the majority of authors as being the most important in mastica tion. The value of our simulator arises from its ability to replicate the e xternal forces (including muscular traction, intra-articular reaction and r esultant forces applied to the mandible) as determined in vivo during previ ous studies. The importance of such a versatile simulator, in addition to e nabling study of the mechanical behaviour of the mandible, is that it great ly enhances evaluation of a possible mathematical model by means of finite element analysis. Stages of the development and evaluation of this device a re described. (C) 2000 European Association for Cranio-Maxillofacial Surger y.