Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not there was any correlation between canine guidance and condylar paths during mandibular lateral movement. Lateral movements were measured on 40 normal young adults using the six-degrees of freedom mandibular movement analyzing system, and the movement data were analyzed on 75 sides where no balancing-side contacts were observed. Canine guidance was evaluated as the frontal inclination of the working-side canine path at 2.0mm from the intercuspal position. The variables to analyze condylar movement were the anterior, lateral and inferior components of the working-side and balancing-side condylar paths. The results were as follows:
1. There were significant correlations between the canine guidance and the anterior (r=0.59, p<0.0001) and inferior components (r=0.41, p<0.0005) of the working-side condylar path. This indicates that the subject with a steep canine guidance has a large amount of the anterior and inferior components of the working-side condylar path, and that, the subject with a flat canine guidance has a large amount of the posterior and superior components of the working-side condylar path.
2. On the other hand, no significant correlation was found between the canine guidance and any components of the balancing-side condylar path.
